Castleford Team Parish continue to show their support for two local food banks, donating items for those in need in the local community.
Two of the churches in the parish, Castleford Parish Church and Hightown, are supporting The Link at Smawthorne Community Church. It is an independent food bank, run purely by unpaid volunteers and has been in operation for nearly nine years.
Open for couples, families and vulnerable people weekly on a Thursday evening, Foodbank at the Link provides food parcels to people who have been referred by third party organisations.
The other churches in the parish, St Michael’s and St Paul’s, also support the recently formed Airedale Food Bank. Started in March 2021 because of the increased needs due to the Covid pandemic, it too is run independently and is based at Airedale Business Centre.
Airedale Food Bank is a delivery service, often seven days a week if needed, for those who are unable to travel or need a parcel in an emergency.
Trevor Wainwright, Church Warden at St Michaels who also is a volunteer at both Airedale and The Link Food Banks said, “It is great to see the Team Parish involved and it is satisfying to see the food come in and go out to needy families, even more so when I can tell the donors where it has gone.”