Wolverhampton’s woman’s joy at feeding hundreds from her home

A woman who has donated 1,000 food parcels for struggling families in Wolverhampton over the school holiday has said she loves supporting her community.

Claire Darby, from Featherstone, started Momma Claire Bear’s Caring Foodbank in 2020 using £500 from her wages to help 20 families, which she said was so successful she kept going.

With help from a volunteer she allows people to collect the food from her home – she now has a few regular donors who drop food off and she has started a GoFundMe page to contribute to the meals.

Ms Darby said: “I get so much joy from it. I love it so much.”

Ms Darby, who also works full time, said she gave people roast dinners, pasta dinners, salads and lentil curries as well as extra items over the summer break.

The families were “overwhelmed” with the parcels and she said she understood there were extra pressures for parents when schools holidays started.

“They’re used to the children being at school and hot meals being provided for them,” she said.

“So to give them this little bit of support, it just takes a lot of pressure off them.”

She also supplied school uniforms for five families who were struggling.

Last year, she said she helped 500 people and no-one needed a referral to get the food.

“If I don’t get any donations or I don’t get any in the GoFundMe, £200 comes out of my own wages,” she added.

“I don’t go for any funding or any grants. I put £200 away every month, out my wages, and that is my backup plan.

“I love supporting the community. So many people are struggling now.”