Posted on Saturday 11th April 2020
Alan White, Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council, at the parcel packing centre where essential items are being prepared for those isolating without any support.
Thousands of food parcels are being prepared to help vulnerable Staffordshire residents without any support network.
Staffordshire County Council is receiving bulk deliveries of essentials and repackaging them for delivery.
Volunteers, including Staffordshire County Council employees transferred from other departments and catering teams from the county council’s school meals and catering provider Chartwells are doing the work.
Alan White, Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council and Cabinet member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said:
First and foremost vulnerable people who must stay at home should look for support from family and friends, from neighbours and then from local community groups.
But if someone has absolutely no-one to turn to we can help and these deliveries will keep them going.”
He added:
This is a huge, long-running logistical challenge. We’re planning on preparing 20,000 parcels for Staffordshire in a 12-week period and I thank everyone who has volunteered for this task force to keep people fed.”
Parcels will include basic items such as tinned vegetables, meat, fish and fruit, baked beans, tea and coffee, rice, pasta, cereals, porridge and toilet rolls, as well as sugar, pasta and long life milk.
Deliveries will be made to local distribution centres across Staffordshire, from where they will be delivered to individual addresses.
Alan White added:
So many are volunteering in different ways to support others through this crisis and this is another example of people doing their bit.
At the same time I would urge everyone to keep staying safe, keep following the advice on social distancing and hygiene to give the NHS the best possible chance of coping with Coronavirus.”
If someone has no support and is in need of help, they can call 0300 111 8050.
Staffordshire County Council is also promoting its Coronavirus Kindness campaign – offering ideas how communities can organise at a grassroots level to do practical things such as collect medicines, connect safely with people living alone and support the work of existing local voluntary groups.
More information is available at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/coronaviruskindness .