Express & Star

Feed a Family: Black Country organisations lead the charge with thousands of donations

Two Black Country organisations are to donate thousands of crucial non-perishable foods and household necessities as the nation begins to head into winter.

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At the Ukrainian Community Centre in Wolverhampton are; back left, Josie Hyde,Greg Kowalzuk, Andrew Adey and Andriy Duda; front left, Brother Charles from the Good Shepherd, Anna Karpynec and Frances Fray

The Campaign of Hope, run by the Ukrainian Community Centre in Wolverhampton, and Assa Abloy Willenhall branch, are set to help replenish the dwindling stocks of local food banks.

Jeanette McFarland, chief operating officer of Assa Abloy Willenhall, said: “The utilisation of food banks has increased and with the challenges faced by many this year, it’s more important than ever to support this campaign and our colleagues are keen to help.

At Assa Abloy in Willenhall are; front, Ian Porter and Hollie Ash, along with Faye Wilcox, Lilly Vadukul, Amy Baldwin and Sam Howell

“Last year after the success of the campaign, we asked all our sites to take part and support local food banks in their area. It’s important to showcase that this campaign not only helps during the festive period, but also as we go into the new year and beyond.”

Feed a Family:

Anna Karpynec, chair of the Ukrainian Women in Great Britain Wolverhampton Branch, is working alongside members of the Ukrainian community for a special donation that coincides with the commemoration of the 1932 Holodomor disaster, where Stalin’s regime attempted to destroy the Ukrainian nation through starvation and famine.

Ms Karpynec said: "This campaign is to honor the victims of the Holodomor, one of the ways that we can honor their death is to make sure that no one else dies of this starvation and famine.

"This is especially important now with the economy and energy crisis and the fact that the war against Ukraine has impacted the rest of the world. It is a big way of saying thank you to our British and Wolverhampton friends for their help supporting the Ukrainian people."

Donations from both organisations will help replenish various food banks in the Black Country area, which are available to be used by any struggling family in the region.