Halloween event collects phenomenal amount of food
Organisers of a Halloween Trick or Eat collection for Hackney Foodbank have been moved to tears after supporters donated enough food to fill three small lorries.
Locals donated 5,347 kilos of food to Trick or Eat - the equivalent to 12,732 meals. Melanie Rochford, of Hackney Foodbank described the moment she saw how much food had been collected as: "spine-tingling."
The initiative, organised by The Local Buyers Club, a perks card promoting independent shops and restaurants, saw more than 60 streets collecting non-perishable food. Locals, some dressed up for Halloween, followed the Trick or Eat trail – donating food as they went.
Jenna Fansa, of the Local Buyers Club, said: “For families who were worried about trick or treating this year, Trick or Eat was a lovely, safe way of enjoying Halloween and helping people who are experiencing hard times. We cleared a space in our living room ready for the donations but were so swamped that we filled the kitchen and hallway too. We could barely close the door! It took four visits from Hackney Foodbank to collect the food - filling three small lorries.
"I can't quite believe that Basil and I actually carried more than five tonnes of food in and out of the house! The people of Hackney are amazing.
“Almost every neighbourhood in Hackney took part - at a time that’s full of fear and hardship, locals have stepped up with the biggest display of warmth and compassion, showing that we really are all in this together. Our thanks go to everyone who helped and everyone who donated.”
Demand for Hackney Foodbank has more than doubled since the first lockdown in March and, with another lockdown beginning this Thursday, staff there are bracing themselves for a surge in the number of people in crisis.
From March to September Hackney Foodbank has fed more than 10,000 people (compared to 4,446 people in the same period last year).
Local mum Anya Sizer was among those taking part in Trick or Eat. She said: “It was such a tonic and restored our faith in people’s kindness and positivity!”
One Stoke Newington family decorated their shed ready for collections and made it extra spooky, another in Queensbridge Road created a giant cobweb in their garden to grab people’s attention and one local mum made a giant monster out of card and invited children to post tins of food through its mouth.
Throughout November the Local Buyers Club is also donating £5 to Hackney Foodbank for every new member who joins with the code TRICKOREAT. The club offers savings at restaurants and shops throughout North and East London and is expanding throughout the capital. Join here.
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