Lions deliver food parcels to needy for Christmas

HENLEY Lions Club delivered food parcels to people in need in time for Christmas.

Bags of selected foods from Tesco were packaged and taken to 78 households in the town on Sunday.

Seven members of the club prepared the parcels, which consisted of tea and coffee, tins of food such as chicken in white sauce, tun and , steak and kidney pie, bags of pasta, jars of pasta sauce and instant porridge.

There were also Christmas treats such as mince pies and cake.

The volunteers gathered at the YMCA hall in Lawson Road to receive the food when it was delivered by 22-year-old Tesco delivery driver Liam Gaskin.

They took about an hour to put together all the bags, which were then delivered by other Lions.

Each recipient was given two bags or four if it was a large family. Any food left over was given to the YMCA and the Tesco food bank.

Pam Pitts-Simmons, 73, of Peppard Lane, who helped to organise the initiative, said: “The Lions exist to serve the community and to help those in need whatever that need may be.

“This is just one of the many ways that the Lions help the people of Henley. We’ve been doing it for about 40 years.

“We get recommendations from Citizens Advice and doctors’ surgeries and sometimes neighbours who will just realise there’s an elderly lady on her own who doesn’t seem to have any relatives. We have no means and no right to vet anyone to see if they are well off or not so we take an awful lot on trust but Citizens Advice does know needy families.

“Some are so grateful and think it’s wonderful to receive the packages. We also get people who say, ‘It’s lovely but I don’t really need it — give it to someone else’. These are usually the elderly ladies. We then do go and find someone else.

“We get cards of thanks in January and February and reading them is very rewarding and it makes this worthwhile. I would like to think we are making a difference to people’s Christmases.”

Club president Dave Adamson, who made deliveries with his wife, said: “You can see when some people open the door that they are pleased to see faces and company.

“Christmas can be a lonely time for people and they are grateful to be thought of. We want Christmas to be special for everybody.”