Salisbury care home opens foodbank collection point
Breamar Lodge on Stratford Road is supporting the city's service
The collection point at Breamar Lodge will take in essential items to be passed on to Salisbury Foodbank.
The idea's been introduced at all of Colten Care's 21 sites across the South, to help local services in the run-up to Christmas.
They're trying to do what they can for foodbanks that have seen donations dropping while demand's increasing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mark Aitchison, Colten Care's Chief Executive, said:
"In Salisbury, people can simply come with food items and put them in a collection box near the Braemar Lodge reception and front door.
"We will gather and take the items to Salisbury Food Bank who will then include them in the help they give to their clients.
"This initiative is a way we can support vulnerable families and individuals in the communities we serve during the pandemic."
Colten Care is also encouraging its suppliers to help the cause, with Downton's Bidfood pledging their support by donating tinned and dry foods.
If we want to help, we can drop off items at the front door of Breamar Lodge, at 18-20 Stratford Road, Salisbury, SP1 3JH.
They're particularly looking for donations of things like tinned fruit, tinned meat, cereal, soup, washing-up liquid, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and pet food.
Maria Stevenson, Project Manager for Salisbury Foodbank, said:
"We are very grateful to Colten Care and Braemar Lodge for adding a further collection point for our donations.
"We have a continual need to source food. Food banks here in Wiltshire and elsewhere are seeing a surge in demand due to the impact of ongoing lockdown restrictions, rising mass unemployment and household financial crises."