Wilmslow Town Council has agreed to financially support a group who provide food parcels to people from Wilmslow and Handforth who have fallen on hard times.
They approved a grant for £1200 to help Wilmslow 'Food Friend' which is an emergency facility where anyone in genuine need can access a food parcel.
The chief co-ordinator of the group is Rev Magdalen Smith and the majority of the food is collected by parishioners from St Bartholomew's and St Anne's Church as well as other community minded organisations and individuals.
Cllr Ellie Brooks, who suggested the group apply to the Town Council for a grant, said "Rev Smith told me of her group about six weeks ago and I was shocked to find out some people in our town could not afford food and basic amenities and Magadalen's group was trying to fill the gap. I felt it only right out the Town Council should help and as you saw last week the whole council agreed."
The project is run on a monthly basis at present so people come to collect food on the first Saturday of each month from St Bartholomew's Church.
Rev Magdalen Smith said "We work alongside community representatives who work on the ground - people from the Red Cross, staff at a vulnerable men's hostel and the Family Liaison Officer from the High School who help us to access people in financial need in our local community. We give out between 25 and 30 parcels each month, these can be individuals, families and pensioners.
"We can only provide food which is dried or packeted and only enough for a few days but next year we will look into a freezer to store fresh food and we would also like to link up with allotment growers, people with large gardens and Incredible Edible - anyone who has spare 'fresh' food that they don't need or which goes to waste."
Rev Smith added "The grant from the Town Council is very gratefully receive because each month we experience a shortfall where we have to buy extra food to make up our parcels due to demand which is increasing gradually, probably due to the genuine difficulties people are experiencing in the recession.
"This means our project can continue for at least a year without us doing anymore major fundraising. We often find that people need help for a few days if they have moved or been moved into the area and are waiting for Social Services to come and assess their means. Most people are understandably proud and grateful for help but many do not return once they are on their feet again."
