County Council delivers 2000th emergency food parcel

The 2,000th emergency food parcel from Staffordshire County Council for vulnerable residents without any support network is being delivered this week.

The county council has been buying bulk consignments of non-perishable staples and volunteers have been repackaging them for individual delivery to homes across Staffordshire.

Recipients are those unable to leave home and who do not have anyone able to help them. Once they have received a parcel they are put in touch with a local charity or support group so that the problem doesn’t arise again.

Alan White, Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council and Cabinet member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said: “We know from what people are telling us that these deliveries are making all the difference.

“People have been contacting us because they’re running out of food and have no-one to turn to and they’re desperate.

“These deliveries have allowed them to stay at home, isolate and reduce the risk of them catching the infection.”

The parcels contain basic items such as tinned vegetables, meat, fish and fruit, baked beans, tea and coffee, rice, pasta, cereals, porridge and toilet rolls, as well as sugar, pasta and long-life milk.

The packing is being done by volunteers including Staffordshire County Council staff transferred from other departments and catering teams from school meals provider Chartwells.

Alan White added: “This supply operation was put together in a matter of days when lockdown first began with the capability to help thousands of people if necessary.

“The volunteers staffing it have been fantastic, but so too have the residents of Staffordshire, helping neighbours and friends wherever possible and I would like to thank them all.”

Although advice on staying at home has been amended by the Government in recent days for some people, those who are classed as vulnerable – including the over-70s, under-70s with underlying health conditions or respiratory conditions and the pregnant – should still be isolating. Updated advice is available here.

If someone is isolating and has no-one to turn to they can contact the county council on 0300 111 8050 or click here for advice.