Gleadless Valley Foodbank was given more than 336kg of food by big chain supermarkets in February.
The foodbank works to tackle food poverty and hunger in local communities, as well as across the UK.
A spokesperson for the foodbank, which is located in Gleadless Valley Methodist Church, Blackstock Road, Heeley, told Sheflive: “Tesco, Abbeydale, and their customers gave us over a quarter of a tonne of food today. Thank you so much also to Morrisons, Meadowhead, customers who also donated around 1000Kg of food today.”
Volunteers work Wednesday to Friday to support local families in crisis by providing emergency food supplies.
The foodbank which has operated since 2017 is part of The Trussell Trust’s network of 428 foodbanks.
The spokesperson said it “could not operate” without the support of local supermarkets.
The organisation also provided a delivery service during the COVID-19 pandemic when locals were isolating with three other locations of food donation for the Gleadless Valley Foodbank across the city at Tesco Abbeydale Road, the Co-op on White Lane and Morrisons Meadowhead.
Writing on the Gleadless Valley Facebook page Wayne Selwood, 31, from Heeley, said about the service: “Great work you’re doing here a lady just down the road with children is ill and having to isolate and you guys really helped her”.
The foodbank’s main products on display are fresh vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, swede, carrots, lettuce, sprouts and cauliflower leftover from supermarkets.
Gleadless Valley is one of the most deprived areas in the city along with Sheffield as the 44th most deprived out of 151 ‘upper-tier’ local authority districts across the country in 2019.
Writing on the Gleadless Valley facebook page Carol Jenkinson, 41, from Heeley recommended Gleadless Valley Foodbank saying “the volunteers are friendly, helpful and non-judgmental”.
Over Christmas the church requested spare decorations and lights to make a Santa’s grotto for the deprived families to enjoy.
The Foodbank Network was founded in 2004.
Since then The Trussell Trust has helped communities work together to launch foodbanks nationwide.
In 2020/2021, the Network provided over 2.5 million three day emergency food supplies and support to UK people in crisis.
