Words by Smiley Team
If you’re heading to the Post Office this festive season to withdraw cash, you’ll also be doing a little good by helping to fight hunger.
More than 14 million people in the UK live in poverty, including 4.5 million children. For many of these people, the cost of living is unaffordable; from buying food to paying bills and avoiding debt. Energy price rises, supply chain failures, job insecurity and the pandemic are all factors affecting millions of people.
So this winter, the Post Office is working to improve this situation with The Trussell Trust.
Food banks in The Trussell Trust network provide emergency food parcels through more than 1,300 food bank centres nationwide to individuals and families who can’t afford basic provisions.
(Read more about how Tom Kerridge is hoping to end child food poverty)
This winter, the Post Office is donating 1p from every over-the-counter cash withdrawal to The Trussell Trust, and wants to raise a minimum of £250,000.
This amount will help the charity provide support to their regional centres across the UK, provide training to their base of 30,000 volunteers, deliver new financial advice services to thousands of households, help increase their income and prevent them needing to turn to a food bank again.
It won’t cost you a penny - just a trip to your Post Office.
(Read more about this Community Grocer which has opened to families facing food poverty)
The Trussell Trust said: “Nobody should be faced with impossible decisions caused by poverty, so we’re grateful for the support of the Post Office this winter as they and their customers join the fight against hunger.
“Your support can take away fear and dread. It can help our network of food banks reach more people with the emergency food and support they need to get through the winter. It can help us campaign for policy changes that could eradicate hunger altogether. Because we all want to see a future without the need for food banks.”
If you’d like to do more to help support the important work of the Trussell Trust, there’s a lot you can do.
You can make a donation, and you can get involved by fundraising, volunteering, supporting a campaign, and donating food to your closest food bank.
