Hope Centre launches campaign that everyone can easily get involved with and will help curb lockdown hunger in Northampton

A Northampton homelessness charity combating hunger during the lockdown is asking communities to come together to tackle the issue.

The Hope Centre has launched a new campaign, called Street by Street, in a bid to make sure it has enough food to run its food bank, while making sure donors do not have to break lockdown rules.

As the pandemic continues, the centre has had to come up with new ways to make sure food is given to those who need it, while abiding by social distancing measures.

Louise Danielczuk, fundraising and marketing manager for The Hope Centre said: “On a busy week we would produce 30 to 40 food parcels that we would give out in our pop-up shops.

“In the last three weeks, we are now up to 120 parcels that have to be delivered to people’s doors and the number is rising.

“We are trying to increase this number, but the only way we can do that is by getting more donations in.”

Street by Street is a way of the Hope Centre asking communities to come together to help others and increase its donations.

Louise added: “This campaign was inspired by a couple of people in Northampton who have already done it off their own backs.

“They dropped leaflets through their neighbour's doors and asked if they could donate a specific item like a tin of spaghetti or a bag of pasta and then told them when they’d come and collect it.

“If every street in Northampton helps us out then we can stop hunger in Northampton.”

The Hope Centre has now made template leaflets that local people can distribute in their street, asking for specific items and arranging a time to collect from their neighbour’s doorsteps, while following social distancing guidelines.

The items can then be dropped off at the Hope Centre’s distribution centre so that they can be donated to those in need.

To find out more about the campaign and to download the template leaflets, visit The Hope Centre’s website.

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