Village shop helps stock a Petersfield foodbank
"One wrong turn in life and it could be any of us using a foodbank"
A village shop has teamed up with a local councillor to stock a foodbank to help residents in need amid the cost of living crisis.
The owner of Froxfield Village Stores, Howard Bevis, has been collecting donations from customers to buy food for the Petersfield Foodbank.
Elaine Knox, Chair of the Trustees for Petersfield Foodbank, said: ‘Howard has been an absolute star for us.
‘He has really stepped up, going to the cash-and-carry and buying bulk, which we wouldn’t be able to do.
‘It is marvellous how generous his customers have been, not only giving him donations of food, but also money. We can then send him off with a shopping list to get the items we’re missing.’
The shop also received £600 from East Hampshire District Councillor Nick Drew, who said he is proud to grant the money and that Froxfield residents have been ‘dedicated and generous’.
The pandemic saw a huge demand in food parcels for struggling families, the number given out jumped from 319 in 2019 to over a thousand in 2020.
Howard Bevis said: ‘During the lockdown, the number of people using the food bank shot up and it was clear they needed help, so I volunteered to collect for them.
‘Owning a shop made it easy for me to collect food and my customers were brilliant, they donated food and money to us stock up the foodbank.
‘It is so important to support the local food bank because you never know when you might need some support yourself.
‘One wrong turn in life and it could be any of us using a foodbank. That’s why it is so vital to help people when they’re in need.’
Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Greatest Hits Radio app.