ANDOVER Foodbank would like to thank the readers of the Andover Advertiser for their support over the Christmas period.  With your help we were able to distribute 968 Christmas hampers, 1200 children’s gift boxes and generate over 13 tonnes of stock for us to help struggling households into the new year.

If you would like to support the foodbank in 2024, here are just some of the projects and fundraising you can participate in during the year:

Christmas Treats Amnesty – the foodbank has had a wonderful response from our request for your surplus Christmas items. Every day brings some more surprises! The team would still love to receive any unneeded Christmas goodies or pamper items. 

Easter egg collection – each year around 2,000 Easter eggs are provided by Andover Foodbank to partner organisations and schools, to give to children who may not receive an Easter gift this year. The request is particularly for medium size chocolate eggs, to be delivered to the foodbank by 20th March.

Abbotts Ann Trail Run with Muddy Runners – this popular trail race returns this year to raise funds for the foodbank. There is a choice of a five or 10 kilometres distance with options for dogs and a children’s 2km race, on Sunday July 7th 2024. Please see muddyrunners.org.uk for more details.

Summer bag appeal – look out for foodbank requests for items to make the summer holidays memorable in May and June. We collect items such as ice pops, popcorn and cake mix to ensure local families have nice treats and activities while not in school.

Harvest Festival – foodbank shelves are often depleted by the end of summer and rely heavily on the generous donations of basic food items that Harvest brings. Foodbank volunteers really enjoy chatting to our local schools and churches at this time as the foodbank’s stock is replenished, ready to help meet the extra demand from local people who can struggle as the colder months close in.

Christmas – Every year Andover Foodbank distributes Christmas food hampers and children’s gift boxes to families who are struggling. These are the organisation’s biggest projects. Foodbank’s magnificent team of volunteers donate their time to ensure hundreds of hampers and gift boxes are sorted, packed and delivered. 

Head of Andover Foodbank Chloe Roberts said: “We could not perform this valuable community service without the continuing generous support from kind individuals and organisations, who donate to these projects and make them possible every year. It is often said that most households are less than three paycheques away from crisis. We often meet individuals who never thought they would need to ask for help but a life event has drained their resources; they have nowhere else to turn. We are proud to be able to provide help – donated by the community – in such circumstances.”