Foodbank4Whitby and District is an independent charity which opened in January 2014 to meet an identified need in the community. It was established with guidance and support from Yorkshire Coast Homes, Citizens Advice Bureau and North Yorkshire Council Children’s Centre and other interested parties. We were given space at the back of Whitby Evangelical Church and local businesses helped with donations of freezers, carpeting and shelving, as well as the essential food items.
Since then we have grown in size, with warehouse storage in the church basement and a wide list of partners from professional and voluntary agencies.
Food donations come in from so many in the area – individuals may give an item from their weekly shop, schools and churches regularly collect food or donate from harvest festivals, organisations have major collections or events; it is a community helping each other.
Nearly 2000 food parcels have gone out to individuals and families in Whitby and the surrounding area. The foodbank is run entirely by volunteers who maintain the warehouse, organise food collections, liaise with partner agencies, pack up bags, welcome clients and, importantly, make cups of tea and coffee!