I helped at a Tesco Foodbank drive and left with kindest story you'll hear this Christmas

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'It's the best I can give'. It's a sentence that brought an instant prickles of tears to my eyes. A 101-year-old woman reached into her purse to grab a few pound coins to put into our donation tin.

The moment during the foodbank collection drive at Bedworth Tesco store will stay with me forever. This incredible woman who had lived through not one but two World Wars and no doubt felt the impact of rationing, felt compelled to do something to help those now who face having little or nothing to eat.

Her friend was waiting for her at the front of a large queue for the lifts (yes, the travellator was broken AGAIN) but this wonderful woman had stopped in her tracks when we approached her to see if she could donate an item to the foodbank.

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We were collecting donations to help the Nuneaton foodbank, which caters for Bedworth too. Sadly its stocks are almost bare due to the ever increasing demand meaning the donation drive at the Tesco store was more desperately needed than ever.

The 101-year-old said she'd struggle to read the leaflet we gave her but rather than just walking on, she reached into her purse.

This was not the only act of kindness I saw. A man, who had approached me for a leaflet, said he'd be back. I had half written it off, so little did I expect him to return with a bag full of items.

He then shared his story. He needed help from the foodbank last year and had not forgotten the kindness he received.

The parcels helped him get back onto his feet, to a position now where he wanted to give back. "I remember how much it (the foodbank) meant to me, so I want to do the same now," he said.

He also brought another item that was not on the list - chocolate selection boxes - and this brought a lump to my throat. "I know there must be kiddies who need something, so are they okay to have these, I thought they'd like them with it being nearly Christmas."

Having no food in a house does not discriminate. It impacts children too.

It's also people who would never expect to hear that would need the foodbank either. One shopper told me that she knows a couple, who both work full time as nurses, who need foodbanks as they cannot make ends meet.

One of the foodbank volunteers gave another heart-breaking example. She said that in recent weeks, a man turned up to one of the collection points in Nuneaton who had not eaten for two days. He was desperate.

She said you could see relief wash over him as he collected the emergency food parcel. That's the stark and humbling reality of food poverty.

For some, they are not worried about if they have food for Christmas, they worry if they will have food tomorrow.

Every single person who donated has helped feed another human being, most likely a stranger, it doesn't get much more life affirming than that.

And all of this of this generosity came in the face of the cost of living crisis. Not everyone could give, its understandable.

Some said they simply couldn't afford it. One woman said 'I haven't got enough money', others said simply said 'no' when approached.

I get why some don't agree with the foodbank, there are suspicions that it is abused as literally a free meal by some who could afford food or taken advantage of people who choose to spend money on other things.

Sadly, there are probably examples of this happening. But to hear the man's story about how the foodbank helped turn his life around is a prime example of the difference foodbanks can and do make.

It's a sad and unescapable indictment on society today that foodbanks are needed. But thank goodness they are.

And thank goodness for the volunteers who man the drop-in centres week in, week out. And also to those who have and continue to donate.

Those who would like more information can visit the foodbank website.

You can also volunteer by emailing [email protected]

At the risk of sounding eye-rollingly cliche, Christmas is just around the corner, and you know what they say, it is about giving, not receiving.

But more than this, it is about showing kindness to others and I saw first hand how we have it in this brilliant borough - in trolley loads.

Those who missed the Bedworth Tesco donation drive can still make donations to the local foodbank. The drop-off points are as follows: