Calon Cymru Fostering donates to local food banks this Christmas

This Christmas, Calon Cymru Fostering has provided donations to two local food banks. Our donations to Reaching Out Foodbank in Cardiff and Carmarthen Foodbank will go towards providing support to families in need over the Christmas and New Year period, providing them with much-needed meals.

Reaching Out Foodbank which is run by volunteers from St Mary Of The Angels and Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Canton, Cardiff, was formed during the pandemic, with the aim of helping local families in crisis. Since then, the service has grown considerably, supporting up to 80 families per week. The devoted team of volunteers has also grown, and there are now over 50 giving their time to help those in need. Due to being a volunteer-led organisation, every penny of our donation will go towards vital supplies for those most in need in the West of Cardiff. Neil O’Toole, Treasurer of Reaching Out said:

“This month Reaching Out celebrated its third anniversary. Over the last three years we have delivered around 25,000 food parcels to needy families and individuals in Cardiff. Sadly, we continue to see strong demand for our services as our clients battle to make ends meet in the face of the cost of living crisis and other demands on their resources. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of organisations such as Calon Cymru Fostering and many others who have so generously given their time as well as their financial support.”

Staff from the Carmarthen office visited Carmarthen Foodbank, based in Johnstown. The Food Bank is run in partnership with several local churches and facilitated by Towy Community Church and is an essential resource for the community, providing meals to over 2,400 people in 2022. This year, the work of the food bank is more vital than ever, with the organisation noting a 42% increase in the number of people fed over the past 12 months. Cath Cork, who is the Foodbank Manager said:

“Thank you Calon Cymru for your very kind donation to Carmarthen Foodbank. This year Carmarthen Foodbank has supported over 3,000 people– over 1,000 were children. Without donations from the people, businesses and organisations, such as yourselves, in Carmarthen and surrounding villages we would not be able to do this work. Whilst eradicating food poverty remains a long way off, through your donations, we will continue to support some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

We are proud to provide essential support to our chosen local food banks each Christmas. The critical work they do helps to tackle poverty and improve outcomes for those living in challenging circumstances across Cardiff and Carmarthen.

If you would like to provide support to those living in food poverty, please consider donating to your local food bank. Food banks may require different items for donation, or some may prefer financial donations, so it is best to get in touch with them first. By contributing, you can help tackle food poverty and improve the lives of local people living in difficult circumstances.