A DARLINGTON man has worked with police and local supermarkets to donate a month's worth of food to a struggling family.

Carl Miller, from Darlington, saw The Northern Echo's news story about police officers delivering free pizza and chips to a struggling family after finding their cupboards completely empty.

Carl helped give out free packed lunches yesterday to children in need at Cornerstone Arts and and decided that he wanted to help after reading the article online.

He said: "After seeing The Northern Echo article about the family that were struggling that were helped by the police I saw that and thought ‘I’m going to help'.

"I liaised with the police officers that were helping them and I’ve done a £50 Iceland shop out of my own pocket, and a month's worth of food that the police are picking up to deliver to the family so they have enough food to last them a month.

The Northern Echo:

“At the end of the day people are in difficult circumstances and there’s obviously more to the story and there are reasons this family aren’t able to access the services available to help them.

“Now this family have a month's worth of food because Iceland have donated some food as well.

“I’ve also been able to get some food from the foodbank at Kings Church who have been very supportive, so now I’ve got eight bags and a massive box for this family, everything from toiletries to tinned food and fresh meats.

“If anything good has come out of this Government decision it's community spirit - people getting together and doing something that the Government should be doing.

“I’ve also managed to pull a few strings at the food bank which means that now if they need some food they can go to the foodbank and say their name and there will be no questions asked and they can get the parcel.

The Northern Echo:

“So there’s provisions in place for them for the next 12 weeks going forward now, and that’s just one family - there’s a lot more people in this situation.

“I shouldn’t have to be doing this, the family should be in a position where they can support themselves but because of what’s going on at the moment it’s difficult.

“People keep shining the spotlight on Daisy and I, but it’s not me or Daisy, it’s the community and the local business, because without the likes of Morrison’s Poundland and the community, it wouldn’t have been possible at all.

"A lot of people aren’t able to access the foodbank because of embarrassment, but we need to take that stigma away.

“I’m planning on setting up a new foodbank in Darlington quite quickly in the hope for it to be open in the next few weeks called No Questions Asked foodbanks for families in need.

“Because there’s no provisions on a weekend for families or people that need food really so that will be based at Cornerstone Arts Centre until I can get council premises.

“I want the foodbank up and running before Christmas because we might be in a situation where this Government are going to do nothing to provide for the kids that need it.

“I want to run the foodbank when other foodbanks aren’t running - so Saturdays Sundays and Tuesdays.

“This problem needs addressing."