Dear John
I am writing to confirm receipt of the cheque in the sum of £2,000 made out to Middleton Foodbankthat as per your letter dated 20th May 2023 addressed to Vicki Sampey for onward transfer to ourselves. This was received today, 3rd July 2023.
We appreciate the donation that has been made, and this will go a long way in supporting our ongoing work. This is gratefully received, please pass on our thanks to your committee.
In the year up to March 2023 the 1413 food parcels that Middleton Central Foodbank issued in response to crisis needs provided the equivalent of 80,230 meals for 1998 adults and 991 children (2989 in total), who came from 815 different families.
The foodbank received 30.5 tonnes of food donations during the year from a variety of groups, individuals and organisations, and in the same year we gave away 33.7 tonnes of emergency food, which is 3.2 tonnes above the amount of food donated during the year.
To cover the short-fall in public donation we have been buying-in a lot more food over the last 12 months to ensure we have sufficient supplies as donations have dropped. For illustration purposes 1 tonne of food is equivalent to the average weight of a female dairy cow, or two grand pianos.
The main causes of the food crisis reported to the Foodbank during the year changed from the historic pattern, and this year they were found to be: 1) low income (55%), 2) Benefit Changes 3) Debt. This is showing a shift in the reasons families are struggling to make ends meet, where family finances (low income and debt) are now becoming the main causes of difficulty, by a substantial margin.
As the cost-of-living crisis has deepened we have seen a sharp drop in donations of food, which is understandable, however this has meant that we are now buying in more and more stock to ensure that we can satisfy the regular demands for support. The donation you have sent us today will very much help in this regard.
Kind regards
Carl