by Tim Collins
tcollins@thekmgroup.co.uk

What a difference a week makes.
Just seven days ago the shelves of the food store at Ashford’s Salvation Army headquarters were almost bare, with the charity warning it was fast running out of supplies to feed the town's needy who were inundating it with pleas for help.
But now, a week on, those same shelves have been restocked – thanks to kind-hearted Kentish Express readers.
The Salvation Army says it has been overwhelmed with donations of food after an appeal to the public appeared in last week’s KE.
Val Barkley , the community care officer for the charity’s Ashford branch, contacted us for help after food stocks became desperately low, warning it was unable to meet the demand from hungry families and the unemployed desperately seeking food parcels to survive.
But thanks to the generous donations from our readers, the shelves at the Salvation Army’s headquarters in Cudworth Road, South Willesborough, are now brimming with supplies.
Parcels of food including cereals, pasta, sauces, tinned goods, meat and fish have all been dropped off.
A delighted Mrs Barkley, 63, from South Ashford, said: “It’s amazing, this is the best response we have ever had.
“I’m absolutely run off my feet! I’d like to thank the Kentish Express for its support and the public for their generous donations.”
But more is still needed. To make a food donation, drop off your goods at the Salvation Army’s headquarters in Cudworth Road, South Willesborough, or contact Mrs Barkley on 07921 210744 for more information.
Full story in the Kentish Express, out today.