CHRISTMAS is a special time for many. However, for some, it can mean uncertainty and financial worry, with many people suffering right under our noses.

One organisation aiming to help is the Food Bank. In Bude, Sue Jarvis and a few of the volunteers that make up the team, have been busy stocking up for the busy winter season ahead.

In the inviting surroundings of their new base, at Berries Avenue, Sue said Christmas is a busy time of year for the Food Bank volunteers. She said: “Christmas is a big thing for us, because there are a lot of people out there who need our help. These people are mainly families. We do get single people, but the majority of the people who use our services are families with children; they’re the ones who struggle the most.”

The Food Bank team is appealing for donations of items to ease the financial pressures for families and local people, and to ensure those who need help are fed and safe during this expensive time of year.

The team has produced a ‘Christmas shopping list’, which includes items such as mince pies, hot chocolate, Christmas pudding and cake, biscuits, chocolates, Christmas crackers, jams and pickles, gravy and other items that might make a family’s Christmas an easier one.

Volunteers are also asking for donations of Christmas gifts and toys for children, suitable for children aged zero to 16.

Sue said: “We get families of all ages, yet every one needs help. It is heartbreaking, and we want to help those who are, ultimately, not surviving and coping. With the government changes to people’s benefits, things are going to get worse too.”

Sue has been running the Bude Food Bank for three years, having spent 40 years in Bude. Her involvement with volunteering opened her eyes to people’s misfortune.

She said: “I didn’t even know what a food bank was, and it was only through starting volunteering and charity work that I found out more. I was astounded that this was going on in Bude and that so many people here needed help.

“We have received so much support from businesses and local people — I can’t thank them enough.”

One person who has really shone through for her is a local gentleman who once struggled to afford to buy food, finding himself using the services provided by the food bank. The man now brings in regular bags of food and toys for children.

Sue said: “It’s his way of paying back for what we did for him during his difficult time. He is a most humble and gracious man. The way I feel about it and what he does — I just can’t put into words. He’s brings in bags of things that he’s been collecting for several months, full of toys — even Star Wars figurines, which I know are expensive. It’s heartbreaking.”

Businesses have also been generous, sending lots of their goods to the Food Bank.

Moving from the Strand to Berries Avenue has provided the Food Bank with the opportunity to reach out to more people who need help. Sue and her team also have plans for the centre.

At the front of the building, there is a large patch of soil, where it is hoped they can grow their own vegetables to provide service users with fresh produce.

Sue said: “We have been doing that, giving people fresh vegetables. There is an organisation called Good Mud, which has been delivering fresh veg to us for about three years now, once a week. They have helped us drastically, but we’re also wanting to grow our own. I’m very conscious of the things that we have, that other people haven’t got.”

To the left of the proposed vegetable patch, there is a patch of green space that Sue hopes to turn into a special garden, complete with a barbecue. Further along, there is an area that they would like to transform into a comfortable seating space. The current Wendy house will be moved further along the side to make a special play area, with sensory equipment to be used by children living with autism and learning difficulties. There is also a tree, which in the summer months blooms with beautiful green plants. Sue would also like to make this a quiet area for children to sit and read, or just have some time to themselves.

Sue said: “This is our aim. This whole project is big for us, so we are looking for donations. We need the funds to be able to do this.”

Although the team hold fundraising events and try to raise as much money as they can, their move to Berries Avenue five months ago has made things a lot busier.

The pastor at Oceans Community Church, Steve Ellerington, and his wife really supported Sue through the organisation’s transition from their last premises which they outgrew.

Bude Food Bank is also looking to update its kitchen area, asking for donations of an electric cooker and freezer, which will allow them to invite people in for cooking lessons.

Sue added: “We have lots of plans, but we really need the funds and donations to do it.”

People turn up at the Food Bank every day, asking for help or support — highlighting the continued need for such a facility in the town.

An incident Sue remembers well is when she spotted a young woman stood by the door, she said: “She was a young girl, a single parent, and she was very, very upset. The first thing I did was I gave her a hug — I’m a firm believer in hugs; I’m always hugging people when they bring donations in.

“She began to cry, and I took her in; it was only myself and the volunteers here. She was shaking and saying, ‘this is so embarrassing’. She had no food — nothing at all — and had a four-year-old child, who was living with learning difficulties.

“I handed her a food parcel. A friend had brought her along, so I helped load her parcel into her friend’s car and we just started chatting about what had happened in her life. She was worried at first, because she thought that that was the only food parcel she could have. I told her not to worry, that we would give her another one the following week and continue to support her until she had got herself back on her feet again.”

Sue continued: “I then put her in touch with a representative from the Job Centre, who I am often in touch with. We are very fortunate in Bude to have such a good Job Centre — the staff are always supportive and willing to help. After that, I explained to her that we would help her until she got back on her feet. Her son was starting school that September, and she doesn’t come to us anymore. I don’t think she’s working, but she is in a better place.”

One thing Sue and the volunteers would like to make clear is that the Food Bank is there to help anyone who might need it.

She said: “I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re unable to come to us for any support. We don’t judge; we just want to help. It can be very emotional; I often have grown men in here crying their eyes out.”

The volunteers from Bude Food Bank are Christians linked with the Oceans Community Church, based in Bude. There are approximately six volunteers in total at the Food Bank, organising the donations that come in and putting together food parcels for those who need it.

However, the team is always looking for more donations from local people if they can spare it.

Sue said: “As soon as this food comes in, we need more — it’s always going out.”

Sue and her team are also appealing for the donation of a barbecue and more seating and benches for their garden area, and an electric cooker and freezer for their kitchen. Anyone who might have anything can get hold of a volunteer on 01288 488748.

However, their main appeal for the winter period is the donations of food and Christmas items that could be provided to families for the season. To find out more information, visit the Facebook page, ‘Bude Food Bank’.