DONATIONS have been flying into a Thornaby care home after the launch of their annual food bank collection.
Mandale House Care Home, on Acklam Road, has been helping to support those in need in the run up to Christmas for several years.
They are now appealing for donation to help make 2021 their best year yet, with staff, family members, and other visitors all contributing so far.
All non-perishable items are welcome and can be dropped off at the care home, with tinned soup, pasta, jars of sauces, and shampoo among those already collected.
The items will then be passed to Thornaby Food Bank, an independent community project run by volunteers and based at Thornaby Baptist Church, to distribute locally.
Arthur Lingard, a resident at Mandale House Care Home, has been helping with the collection and has been encouraging staff and visitors to donate.
He said: “This is a fantastic idea. I think the people of Thornaby will be very proud. The quality of things being donated is great.”
Sarah Robinson, activity coordinator, is one of the organisers. She said: “It’s been fantastic to see how people have reacted to the drop off point. We’ve already upgraded the size of our donation box to accommodate the donations.”
Tracy Hill, home manager, said: “In previous years this event was well supported by the local community.
“Last year we did several runs to Thornaby Food Bank to deliver the fantastic donations we had collected.
“Fingers crossed but this year already looks the same and hopefully we can collect even more to support those in need as we get closer to Christmas.”
A spokesperson from Thornaby Food Bank said: “Our thanks go to Mandale House Care Home for setting up their collection point.
“We’ve already received food to average about 18 family bags – which includes three meals for three days for four people – and 18 couples’ bags from the care home.
“Over the past 12 months we calculated we had supplied over 55,000 meals in total, so we’re always pleased to receive new contributions.
“However, we are at storage capacity for pasta, beans, and soup, but toiletries and other non-perishables are welcome.”