Story
“I wanted to die and I simply wouldn't be here without this help.” – Local Richmond Mum, Cate, and Guest of our Services.
Cate and her family have been in financial freefall since her young son died earlier this year and they became overcome with grief and depression. She explained to us simply not wanting to live and shared that she was planning to overdose. She continued, “Somehow the kind and loving support here has turned something around in me. I want to live and be here for my daughter.”
This Christmas, Vineyard Community & Richmond Foodbank is calling on your generosity to help us reach our £20,000 target, ensuring we can continue to give Help & Hope to over 6,000 vulnerable people made up of local families and individuals experiencing crisis, with a third being local kids in families struggling with food poverty. We don't want anyone in our community to go without life's basic human essentials this year. We're on a mission to continue and keep developing our at times life saving and daily life changing services for those struggling, like Cate above.
For many, Christmas is a time of joy, warmth, and family. But for others, it’s a stark reminder of the lonely struggles they face. With the cost of living still rising, more local families than ever are facing hardship. We’re still seeing a record high number of people who need support with basics like safety, food, clothing, showers, healthcare, utility bills, employment and more.
Your Donation Provides:
🍎 Emergency Food: Nutritious food hampers filled with vital basics and special treats to help families enjoy a proper Christmas meal.
🧣 Warmth and Essentials: We provide warm clothing and household items for those struggling to stay warm this winter.
💡 Energy Support: We assist families and individuals with fuel top-ups, financial aid, and support to keep their homes heated in these difficult months.
💻 Support Work: With the aim of long-term sustainable life-change, we work with local people in crisis to equip them with the tools and help they need to
Costs Your Donation Can Help:
£10 Provides a week of breakfasts for someone in need
£25 Funds a festive meal for a family of four
£50 Helps keep a vulnerable person warm for a week
£100 Gives a struggling family food for the holiday season
£150 Offers a life-changing level of Support Work
£200 Feeds 250 Crisis Service Guests Throughout a Week
£250 Enables Immediate Safety for a Person in Danger
Last year, thanks to your amazing support, we were able to provide well over 5,000 people with emergency food across our Richmond Foodbank sites, support over 450 people experiencing complex crisis including helping 59 out of homelessness, distribute over 1,000 free clothing provisions to those in critical need and delivered over 2,500 support work appointments. This year, we need your help again to keep empowering those without and changing the courses of local lives. By giving today, you’re not just providing a meal or a gift - you’re giving kindness that brings hope, restoration, and purpose where and when it’s needed most.
Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference. Please help us bring comfort and joy to those in need this Christmas by donating now. Together, we can make sure no one in our community is left behind.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity!
From all of us at Vineyard Community & Richmond Foodbank, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!
'I arrived here in tears, starving, and scared. I'd just slept on the streets for the first time. Now I've got a home, good health, enough to eat, and I'm back in a full time job that I love. I was just amazed that the people here actually knew how to support such a turnaround of my whole life' — Local Richmond Worker, Jim, and Guest of Vineyard Community & Richmond Foodbank