A Great Ashby charity worker has had some help from three very special little helpers in her bid to help people in need this Christmas.
Donna Lee has put out a plea for the past three years to ask people to donate advent calendars for Stevenage Food Bank.
This year Donna expanded her campaign and got her three little helpers, daughter, Tilly Lee-Willis, 11, and nieces, Ruby Hammond, 8, and Holly Ferguson, 10, to make a collection box for donations of advent calendars sweets chocolate and biscuits.
The youngsters placed the box outside their home in Great Ashby and were able to see what donations had come in every day when they got home from school.
Donna says she has been overwhelmed with the response to the appeal.
“We had more than 150 advent calendars more than 60 selection boxes, 50 tubes of sweets and at least 300 individual chocolate bars and sweet bags on top of biscuits and tins. It was a fantastic response, we couldn’t believe how much was donated,” she said.
Donna and her team of little helpers delivered the sweet treats to John Mead who runs Stevenage food bank.
Donna who works for Macmillan Cancer Support as well as volunteering to collect for the food bank. said: “Although I work for another charity this food bank collection is something that is really important.
“It gives people in our local community a chance to be able to give a little something to
families less fortunate during the festive period. Even if the family
is struggling themselves being able to donate an advent calendar for
£1 gives everyone the opportunity to get involved.”
The most recent donations have come from staff at the Budgens store in Stevenage Old Town, who allowed Donna to fill a trolley full of items the food bank needs and where one customer who did not wish to be identified, donated a trolley full of goods.
Donna says she wishes to thank the people of Great Ashby for their donations, the Dominate Fitness Ltd gym which held a collection, Budgens and her three little helpers.
Food bank donations can be made at a number of points including Stevenage Borough Council Customer Service Centre, The Oval Community Centre, Springfield House, and Bedwell Community Centre,
A full list of items to be donated visit www.stevenagecommunityfoodbank.org.uk/donations.
Families can get a token for the food bank from support services including community centres and the Citizens Advice Bureau located at Swingate House in Stevenage.
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