THIS year’s drive to help the hardest hit members of the Redditch community this Christmas has been deemed a success by Reach CIC directors.
From more than 120 food parcels for the borough’s poorest to care packages for those on their own, Redditch residents rose to the occasion.
Director Shannon Gawn said: “Once again Reach has worked alongside Acts of Kindness (AoK), Arrow Valley First School, Arrow Vale High School and Church Hill schools for this year’s Christmas parcel project.
“Reach staff want to thank all the volunteers who have given so much of their time over the last few weeks to help make parcels.”
Director Rachel Ind thanked Studley Aldi, Mary at Tesco and Bev from Morrisons for helping provide the food, along with Nicki Laurence beauty treatments and its customers for their donations.
“CALA Homes Fernleigh Park have been amazing, and thank you for the generous contribution and Jarvis construction for helping us to deliver our hampers.
“This year is incredibly tough for many families and without all the support we have received we couldn’t make this possible.”
The food parcels come courtesy of money from the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs but extra donations mean they will contain more than the essentials.
These will be handled by Redditch charity Acts of Kindness which, as well as running Redditch Foodbank, will organise food kitchens this Christmas.
The Rev Robin Baker of AoK and the Oasis Christian Centre, said: “Yet again we need to thank everyone for their generosity, even though there is a lot of need in the town.
“We have people who once used the foodbank who now find themselves in better circumstances making donations as a kind of ‘payback’.
“That’s the kind of town we have.”
