Our South Shields social supermarket, Lucie’s Pantry, is appealing for donations of food and toiletries to help disadvantaged families and individuals.
Lucie’s Pantry, located at 430 Dean Road in South Shields, is a food bank run by homelessness charity Emmaus North East. Relying entirely on donations, it helps people to access affordable food at prices significantly lower than in supermarkets.
Items within the appeal include fresh, dried, tinned and frozen food as well as toiletries, household items and baby products. Donation drop off points include Lucie’s Pantry at 430 Dean Road, the Emmaus charity shop at 22 Market Square, South Shields and the Emmaus charity shop at Unit 5, St James Mall, Hebburn.
For £3, members of Lucie’s Pantry can choose various items up to the value of approximately £15. These items are donated by local households, charities and businesses.
Volunteer Stuart Small stood outside Lucie’s Pantry, South Shields
Stuart Small is a former Emmaus North East companion and has been running Lucie’s Pantry as a volunteer since 2019. He said;
“Quite often we have days when the shelves are almost empty. Receiving more food donations would mean that we could open the food bank for longer hours and help more families and households in need.
“We are a solidarity charity and we help people in need. Beyond combatting food poverty, we also want to provide community support and signposting to other organisations where our members can receive support. Receiving a larger volume of donations would mean a huge amount to Lucie’s Pantry and its members.
“Donations can be of any size and can come from businesses or individuals. We have facilities to chill and freeze food on the premises”.
Emmaus North East is a charity that supports people who have experienced homelessness, by providing them with a stable home, personal support and meaningful work for as long as they need it. The South Shields charity opened its doors in 2017 and has since supported over 88 people who have experienced homelessness.
To make a food bank donation please drop off items at Lucie’s Pantry (430 Dean Road, South Shields) or any of the Emmaus shop addresses listed in this article.
To become a member of Lucie’s Pantry, drop in, call 0191 489 90 01 or email [email protected].
To find out more about Emmaus North East please visit emmaus.org.uk/north-east/