A self-employed mother decided to set up a food bank in her home to help vulnerable people in Leicester.

Emma Marsh, 37, has worked with several charities such as Help the Homeless. She also keeps sleeping bags and other essentials in the boot of her car to help those in need.

”I know that there are loads of food banks in Leicester but for a lot of them people need referrals and vouchers so I decided to do it from home. It’s heartbreaking seeing people struggle,” she said.

In previous years, with the help of her children and generous donations from locals, she filled hundreds of shoe boxes to donate to vulnerable people. After getting a positive response last year, she decided to encourage even more donations.

Her 16-year-old son, Jack and 6-year-old daughter Amelie help to organise things. “They get really involved – Jack wants to join the Red Cross because he just wants to help as many people as he can,” Emma said.

Emma said she wants to ”reach people who will struggle over the Christmas period, especially those whose families are on low incomes or children who would usually get free school meals.”

She spends her own money on the things that have not been donated such as nappies and sanitary pads.

”Even if it just saves someone twenty pounds it’s worth it,” she said.

She accepts donations to her home or offers to collect donations from people.

Emma added: ”Even if someone just wants to donate one jar of pasta sauce I will happily go to pick it up because that person has made an effort to help.”

 

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