Food banks in Cornwall make desperate plea for donations in lead up to Christmas
People in Cornwall are being asked to "do what they can" to help food banks cope with demand this winter.
The need for food banks is increasing among adults and children with a rise in people using them for the first time.
Between April and September 2020, Trussell Trust food banks in Cornwall provided 8961 emergency food parcels to people in crisis.
36% percent of those went to children.
Churches and food banks across Cornwall are now joining together in a bid to attract more donations from individuals across the county.
There is a request for food, money and even Christmas presents for those who can't afford to gift their children this year.
Demand for "lifeline" food banks is also expected to surge going in early 2021.
Staff at one Cornish food bank have attributed the increased demand to the mass loss in jobs due to the pandemic.
The Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, who is also chair of Churches Together in Cornwall, said: "Sadly, food banks are a lifeline for thousands of people in Cornwall.
"The outlook this year is particularly stark, as we near Christmas and now also have to take into account the strict measures that are in place to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Don Gardner, from CPR Foodbank based in Camborne, said: "We are getting an extraordinary and generous response from the public, but sadly it really is going to be needed.
"We've found more and more people coming for help, and recently that was people who had been unemployed because the furlough scheme was coming to an end.
"That has been extended now, but people have already been affected."
Emma Greenwood, the Trussell Trust's area manager for the South West, said: "Between April and September this year, Trussell Trust food banks in Cornwall provided 8961 emergency food parcels to people in crisis. 36% percent of those went to children.
"Whilst this represents a significant number of people forced to turn to a food bank for support, we also know that that this is likely to only be the tip of the iceberg as many people will have been helped by other food banks and community groups."
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