A HARVEST Festival appeal has been made by the West Somerset Food Cupboard (WSFC) as the charity prepares for a challenging autumn and winter with demand up by 30 per cent on last year.

Operations manager Ali Sanderson said: “Last year, we were very grateful for numerous Harvest collections of food in aid of the food cupboard, some of them a happy surprise to us.

“These were a huge help as they provided for many households well into the winter months.

“If an organisation that you are part of is planning a similar collection this year, we would love to hear from you in advance, so that we can plan collection/delivery and storage etc.”

WSFC has been providing emergency food from its base in St Michael the Archangel Church, Alcombe, since 2007.

It also provides information about and links to and between agencies to ensure people facing difficulties can receive the most appropriate support for their needs while also having enough food on their shelves.

Last month, WSFC with its partner organisations distributed 96 parcels of donated non-perishable food, making a total this year of 968, compared to 741 at the same time in 2022. 

Ms Sanderson said the food cupboard would be happy to talk through how it could help if anybody was facing a financially challenging autumn and winter and unsure how they were going to make ends meet.

She said: “If you are worried about any stigma, please be assured that you are not alone, and sharing food is normal. 

“We work closely with a wide range of local organisations who can help you with the challenges you face as well as providing food, and if/when those organisations cannot help, we will arrange a delivery ourselves.”

Ms Sanderson said The Local Pantry which operated on Tuesdays to distribute fresh food to members within a 15-minute travel time of the church was still running at capacity.

However, there was a rolling programme of six months per household and people could join a waiting list to take part in the project.

During August the pantry hosted a team from the Centre for Sustainable Energy who were able to offer members helpful advice about reducing household energy costs.

Ms Sanderson said the food cupboard welcomed any non-perishable food items, but in September would particularly appreciate:

More information about the WSFC and the Local Pantry can be found on its website.