Community shocked as food bank items left to rot in March

A shocking discovery of discarded food bank items left the community reeling.

Co-ordinator of the Community Fridge, March, Nicola Christy found a bag full of items from the food bank dumped on the side of the road. 

Nicola made the discovery on Lambs Hill Drove and was "upset" to see the items wasted. 

She said: "I was so upset to see these foods dumped, just like the community fridge the food bank is only possible with the generous donations of the community.

"Many people whom donate are struggling themselves but want to help others so they donate a few tins a week to a worthy cause and put them into crate in stores. 

"I just wanted people to think before they take these foods, if you don't want/need them they don't take them, they can then go to families who are in need.

"It just makes me cross that volunteers give up their time to help those in need and then the foods are just dumped out of the car."

The bag was left to rot filled with tinned goods including: soup, chopped tomatoes, tinned mackerel and other items. 

The March Food Bank didn't condone the behaviour. 

Coordinator March Distribution Centre, Ely Foodbank, Barbara Taylor said: "I have seen a photo of the items found, they look very old, as if left outside for a while.

"It was a thoughtless act to dump them rather than make use of the food or pass it on to someone else in need.

"Fortunately this is an unusual case. When clients come to Foodbank they are very grateful for help offered.

"If they don’t need certain items we encourage them to leave them with us, so that someone else can benefit from them. "

Items that are regularly in short supply are:- coffee (100g), long-life milk, tinned fish and meat, washing up liquid and toilet roll.

Donations for the March foodbank can be left at Tesco’s (Hostmoor and Broad Street), Sainsburys, Iceland, Badgeney Road Co-op and QD store.