Methodist Churches in Cornwall feeding the hungry

The Methodist Church has been working alongside the AnglicanChurch in Cornwall to set up two independent Foodbanks. Togetherthey have given out over fourteen thousand meals since August2013.

The two Foodbanks are housed at Methodist Chapels in theCamborne-Redruth Circuit in West Cornwall, where there are highlevels of poverty and no longer a significant industrial base. Themanager of the Foodbanks is a Methodist steward who has helped tooffer meals to individuals and families that are most in need, thisincludes many children who receive free school lunches when atschool.

Revd Mike Firbank, Vicar of Camborne and chair of the CambornePool Redruth charity, Transformation CPR, said: "There are sixindependent Foodbanks in the West Cornwall area, two of which arehoused at Methodist Chapels, and they have now applied to have thefirst Fairshare warehouse in Cornwall (a transportation hub forFoodbanks). Tesco have already donated a lorry-load to them. Lastmonth the Foodbanks gave out thousands of meals and have also beentrying to lobby politicians to address the needs within the region.Cornwall Council will have to cut another £190 million from itsbudget in the next few years so local authority support is highlyunlikely."

The CPR Foodbanks have over forty volunteers helping each weekto distribute over twenty three thousand meals to over five hundredand forty families. Cold weather, high unemployment, and changes incouncil tax benefits have been contributing factors to the rise innumbers of people who are in desperate need of food.

Collection points for the Foodbanks can be found in Tesco inRedruth, Camborne and Pool, and all sixteen of the MethodistChapels in the Camborne-Redruth Circuit.