Footprints in the Community is here to provide emergency food and support to anyone facing food poverty, whatever the reason for the crisis.
Footprints in the Community started in 2011 and now run a number of projects from their offices at 10 Queen Street in Redcar, each of which aims to reduce poverty and isolation and improve health and wellbeing, in Redcar and the surrounding area.
Redcar Area Foodbank is one of Footprints’ projects. They work with a wide range of local care professionals, who can all refer people in genuine crisis to a foodbank centre for a parcel containing at least three-days’ emergency food. A maximum of four referrals are allowed in a six-month period.
Trained volunteers currently run nine centres, all based in local churches across Redcar & Cleveland. There is a full list of foodbank centres on the website https://redcararea.foodbank.org.uk
Everyone who enters through the door is given a warm welcome. A Support Worker is also available to provide guidance, support and signposting to other agencies and Footprints’ projects who may be able to provide further help. One of these projects is Next Step Shop, which is a subsidised members’ shop and is often the ‘next step’ for foodbank clients.
There are currently two Next Step Shops in the area; one at Queen Street in Redcar and one inside the Grangetown United Community Hub, allowing members to choose the most convenient place for them to shop. Shop members pay a small contribution of £3 towards their shopping and can visit their chosen shop on a weekly basis. For £3 they receive 10 items of tinned or packet food. A daily selection of fresh food is also available, such as fruit, vegetables and bread products.
Donations of non-perishable food and toiletries are needed by Footprints’ projects now more than ever. If you would like to help, donations can be dropped off at 10 Queen Street in Redcar during office hours. There are donation points for food and toiletries for Redcar Area Foodbank in most local supermarkets. Monetary donations are always appreciated as they allow items that are most needed to be purchased. Donations can be made at https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/20571
Helen Hedges, Redcar Area Foodbank Manager said, “We want to thank the public for their generous support, as we know that these are difficult times for everyone. We have found an increasing number of local people are coming to us for help and we are expecting this demand to grow. Your generous donations of food and toiletries are vital to allow us to continue helping people in crisis in the Redcar area.”