The Medway Messenger has teamed up with a crisis charity to help families in need this Christmas.

Our 2013 festive appeal is supporting Medway Foodbank to stop people going hungry.

Every day in the Towns there are people struggling to put food on the table. It could be due to redundancy, illness, benefit delay, family breakdown or simply an unexpected bill.

Medway Foodbank is there to help when people need it most. Through its six drop-in centres it provides emergency food boxes to feed families for three days.

Aince launching in December 2011, Medway Foodbank has fed more than 4,000 people including more than 1,000 children. And the number is steadily growing. Last month, it helped just over 200 adults and 91 children.

The Trussell Trust, which runs food banks, has reported a 21% rise in the number of people who said they did not have enough money for food because of problems with benefits. Welfare reforms were introduced in April.

More families are expected to turn to the charity during the winter months as they face rising food costs and struggle to pay higher fuel bills.

Foodbank coordinator Helen Gallagher said people often go to the centres saying they have to make the choice between paying the rent, paying for fuel or buying food.

She added: “There is much more pressure on people in the winter. The increase in fuel prices is really going to make it worse for people.”

Families are referred to the charity by health centres, social workers, schools and housing associations.

They are given a voucher which they can exchange for a food parcel containing pasta, beans, milk, cereal and other every day essentials.

Helen said: “We are a crisis service. By the time people come to us after being referred from a frontline service, things are usually pretty desperate.

"We have had people walk for miles to get to a centre when they need help.

“One of the most common reasons people come to us is because of benefit delays.

“One of the saddest things we see is people who haven’t received a letter because they have been forced to move or stay with a friend and they have been sanctioned so their benefits are stopped.

“The Trussell Trust estimate that if someone loses their job it would take just three months for them to need the help of a foodbank. So anyone is only three months away from needing our help.”

When and where you can donate

• Strood Community Project, 123-125, High Street, Strood, Tuesday 1-4pm and Friday noon-2pm
• Strood Gospel Mission Church, Brompton Lane, Strood, Monday 10-11.30am
• Salvation Army Cafe, Church Street, Chatham, Monday 10.30am-1.30pm and Friday 10.30am-1.30pm
• Chatham Evangelical Church, Ordnance Street, Chatham, Wednesday 10.30am-4pm
• The Net Community Cafe, 70 Silverweed Road, Walderslade, Thursday, 9-11.30am
• St Mark’s Church, Canterbury Street, Gillingham, Monday 10am-noon, Thursday 1-3pm and Saturday 10am-noon
• Twydall Evangelical Church, Goudhurst Road, Gillingham, Tuesday noon-2.30pm and Friday 10.30am-1pm
• Medway Foodbank warehouse, Unit 19, Riverside 1, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Medway City Estate, Strood, Tuesday to Thursday 9.30am-3.30pm.
• The Vines Church, Victoria Terrace, Rochester, Thursday 9am-1pm.
• St Paul’s Church, Long Catlis Road, Parkwood, Monday 9am-noon and Thursday noon-3pm.
• Borstal Baptist Church, Borstal Street, Rochester, Tuesday 9.30-11.30am and Thursday 1.30-3.30pm
• The Peninsula Church, Cliffe Road, Strood, Saturday December 7, 10am-noon, Thursdays noon-2pm
• Memorial Hall, The Street, High Halstow, Tuesdays 10am-12.30pm
• The Rectory, Cooling Road, High Halstow, any reasonable time
• Twydall Evangelical Church, Goudhurst Road, Gillingham, Tuesday noon-2.30pm, Friday 10.30am-1pm and Saturday, December 7, 10am-noon
• Gillingham Methodist Church, Third Avenue, Gillingham, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am-noon
• All Saints Community Project. Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm

If your school, club or business would like to hold a foodbank collection to support the Medway Messenger’s Christmas appeal, contact the newsroom on 01634 227828 or email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk