School packs up 220 Christmas lunchboxes to donate to Chichester District Foodbank

Following on from the success of their reverse Advent calendar appeal for Chichester District Foodbank, Seaford College’s charity committee turned the year-nine marquee into a temporary foodbank warehouse and distribution centre for Operation Christmas Lunchbox.

Chichester District Foodbank manager Sarah Adams talked about the urgent need for supplies at a recent chapel assembly – as well as how some families will face with the financial dilemma of heating their homes or feeding their children in colder months.

Sarah said: “It was a great opportunity to be able to come and share a little about what we do and what it is like for our clients, especially the children, who receive lunch packs from us through the school holidays.

“To see everybody enthusiastically making up lunch packs for us to distribute this Christmas was fantastic.

“On behalf of Chichester District Foodbank, I would like to thank you all for your generosity in both time and donations to make a difference this Christmas for more than 220 schoolchildren across the district who will definitely be able to enjoy a hot meal every day throughout the holiday.”

A standard children’s lunchbox is meant to last for two weeks, weekdays only, over the Christmas holidays, for one child.

The charity committee enlisted the help of the whole school community to help pack 2,284kg of food into 220 Christmas lunchboxes, which were then distributed by Pasquale, Hamza and Luke from the operations department, along with members of the 1st XI rugby team, to depots in Chichester and Midhurst.

Lara Stitt, chairman of Seaford College’s charity committee, said: “Thank you to everyone who donated food and money towards the Operation Christmas Lunchbox appeal and to all the volunteers who gave up their time to pack the boxes.

“The generosity of the Seaford community has made this all possible. The charity committee will also be organising Operation Easter and Summer Lunchbox appeals and these events, together with Operation Christmas Lunchbox, will feature in the college’s calendar going forwards.”