By Andy Dalton
Residents in West Leeds are needing more food to eat – that’s the experience of a charity based in Armley.
The Leeds City Mission Compassion Centre in Mistress Lane in Armley has been adding up its statistics as they prepare their annual report for last year.
Its Pantry Project foodbank has faced unprecedented demand from people living at the margins over the previous 12 months.
Between January and December a total of 200 food parcels were given to people in need. 2102 packets and tins of food were donated by churches, philanthropic individuals, supermarkets and businesses to the Pantry Project.
Hundreds of other items were added, financed by financial donations and grants. Surplus short life food such as bread, confectionery and vegetables were also supplied.
A total of 392 large supermarket trays of food were donated by High Street giants such as Aldi, Tesco and Sainsburys. Over 90 visitors requesting food help were helped during the year.
Volunteers at the Compassion Centre have given over 250 hours to collect, sort, display and pack the food. Food from supermarkets has been collected on a daily basis.
Pantry Project manager Sinclair Martin said that many visitors to the foodbank were struggling to find suitable work or had benefit payments delayed.
Others were in jobs with zero hours contracts or low pay. Rising prices and pressure on family budgets were other factors. All combined to account for the consistent and increasing stream of people heading for the Pantry Project at the Compassion Centre each week.
Sinclair Martin said: “We would like to thank everyone who has donated food to the City Mission. This has enabled us to meet the pressing needs of many people requesting help”
The Pantry Project at Leeds City Mission Compassion Centre is open Monday to Friday (not Wednesdays) between 10am and 3pm.
Leeds City Mission is one of the oldest charities in the city being in continuous existence since 1837. It works with marginalised people and those struggling with life. It is a multi-church agency and the Compassion Centre premises in Mistress Lane (end of Town Street) are diagonally opposite Armley Library.
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