Store answering foodbank's call for Easter

Staff at O2 are encouraging town centre shoppers, visitors and customers to drop off Easter eggs at its Swan Shopping Centre, High Street store to be passed on to Kidderminster Foodbank.

Staff at the foodbank say being able to put items such as Easter eggs in food parcels for families with children help add an "extra little touch".

O2 assistant store leader, Natasha Jones, said: "We are aiming to collect 100 eggs over two weeks to help the foodbank celebrate Easter.

"As a store, we would appreciate people supporting us in achieving this goal and giving to the local community."

Shoppers can donate chocolate eggs at the store until Thursday next week before players from the Kidderminster Harriers drop in to collect the treats and help deliver them to the foodbank the next day.

Foodbank co-ordinator Maureen Lewis said: "It gives us that extra touch, an extra little special something to help at special times like Easter improve life a little bit for people in need.

"When families come in with kids and you have something extra like this for them, they are more than grateful for the help. We are very grateful and I think people want to help us because at the moment, this is the biggest need out there."

Easter comes as Kidderminster's Baxter Church-based foodbank prepares to mark two years in operation after opening in May, 2012. In its first year, it fed 2,000 Wyre Forest people but the number of users has nearly doubled during the second year and 3,500 have already received emergency food.

The Shuttle’s Blackwell Street office is a collection point for the foodbank, which opens at Baxter Church in Kidderminster town centre on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12.30pm until 3.30pm and Fridays between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Anyone needing help can call 01562 746600 or email kiddyfb188@gmail.com. The foodbank also has a facebook page, which can be found by searching Kidderminster Foodbank on the social networking site.