Jade Rosevear praised Rebecca Shearing’s volunteer work after her support at the local community larder helped her family through tough times.
Whilst juggling a full-time job and volunteering at the larder three times a week, Rebecca reflects on the time she spends to support many families in Cornwall.
Rebecca said: “I was absolutely speechless. It’s lovely to be appreciated and thought about. This has absolutely made my Christmas.
“I find the volunteering work I do at the community larder really rewarding. But equally, it’s also quite frightening because we are facing high demand at the moment due to the cost of living crisis.
“We are finding some people are turning off fridge freezers and boilers, so we are all doing our best to make sure people in the community have food for Christmas day.”
The Old Bank Community Larder began three years ago at the end of a back garden and now, it has around 20 volunteers who help feed between 700 to 800 people every week.
Putting her hard work to rest, Rebecca looks forward to spending her Christmas in style by having a dedicated day spent in her pyjamas and walking her puppy.
“This year, I am spending Christmas on my own but that’s absolutely fine. A day at home, in my pyjamas, doing nothing is so rare so it’s honestly one of the best Christmas presents.”
Looking forward to The Old Bank Community Larder’s Christmas hamper, Jade’s family is one of 90 families which will receive a gift this year, thanks to Rebecca’s fundraising efforts throughout the year.
Jade said: “Some weeks, I honestly don’t feel that I would get through my week with my two boys as a single parent without Rebecca helping me out.
“She has done a lot of charity events in the community to raise money and spends a lot of her own time and energy helping other people, and that’s why I entered her into the competition.
“When I spoke to her about being one of the winners of the competition, she burst out in tears and gave me a hug.”
The Christmas hampers will consist of everything a family needs for their Christmas dinner, including fresh vegetables to a variety of meat options.
Jade added: “We are one big happy family. Christmas will be a bundle of laughs with lots of eating, thanks to Rebecca helping with the Christmas hampers.
“It’s amazing to see her be one of the winners of the competition because she deserves some gratitude. It’s really important that she knows we care about her, as much as she cares about us.”