Foodbank staff in Neasden have thanked the public for their generosity in the run up to Christmas which led to a special day.
Almost a year into the pandemic and Sufra Foodbank & Kitchen NW London’s services have changed drastically.
In the week leading up to Christmas, the charity in Pitfield Way enabled a total of 280 food parcels to be distributed to almost 800 recipients and on Christmas Day, volunteers delivered a staggering total of 600 Christmas Dinners, directly to the doors of the most vulnerable within the community.
Nina Parmar, volunteer and logistics coordinator at Sufra said a team of 42 "dedicated volunteers spent their precious time on Christmas day delivering to locals in Brent and surrounding areas".
She added: "Chef Prince, along with his helpers, cooked an amazing meal, which included roast chicken with all the trimmings and dessert.
"But that’s not all – Sufra NW London provided their guests with some additional gifts including a special winter hamper, a gift voucher, children’s presents and Christmas crackers. A heartfelt thanks to all the organisations who made this possible with their generous donations."
She said dedicated teams "worked tirelessly" behind the scenes over the Christmas period to ensure that guests who would normally come to Sufra didn’t miss out.
One guest said: ‘"The meal was truly lovely, and the children thought the gifts were wonderful, it really made our Christmas all that more special. I’m so grateful – thank you once again’’.
In 2019 an average of 45 per cent of children in the borough were living in extreme poverty.
That year Brent had the 14th highest levels of child poverty in Britain, according to figures from the Child Poverty Action Group.
Nina added: "As we head into another lockdown, we are working hard to ensure that we can support as many people as possible who have been affected by the pandemic.
"We know that food banks are at their limits, but with continued local support we hope that we can reach our most vulnerable guests for as long as they need us."
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