This year at Countess Free Church we are not doing our normal toy collection at the end of the month – where toys would be brought in by the church for distribution via the Foodbank in the Christmas run-up. Instead we are inviting everyone to contribute in a different way …
Rather than buy a toy, we are inviting everyone to donate £5 which we will pass on to Ely Foodbank as a gift specifically given to help people who find themselves with no electricity or gas on their meter card. At the Foodbank our colleagues regularly meet people who have come to us with help with food, but are also eeking out survival through the cold weather with minimal amounts of gas or electricity. The Foodbank team are able to spot these people and help them out by giving them one energy top-up during the season. Theses £5 gifts will therefore go a long way to help clients where the need is most this season (the Foodbank already has promises of toy donations elsewhere, which will be ample to help families in need in the run up to Christmas).
On any of the Sundays up to Christmas donors can simply put their donation in a yellow envelope and write on it ‘Foodbank Fuel’ to add to the offering that day. We will then pass this on to the Foodbank to help people in this way.