Penrith Salvation Army is Patterdale Mountain Rescue’s chosen charity for a food donation

Patterdale Mountain Rescue donated nearly £400 worth of food to Penrith Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal on Monday (17 December) to help vulnerable households get through the festive season.

The emergency rescue crew paid a special visit to the church at 1 Hunters Lane, Penrith to personally hand over their bumper Christmas grocery shop to church leader Major Carole Donaldson. 

Penrith Salvation Army has been collecting food and gifts for its annual Christmas Appeal since November and Patterdale Mountain Rescue’s generous contribution means that the church can now distribute even more food to even more households in need in the Penrith area.

Major Carole Donaldson, Commanding Officer of Penrith Salvation Army said:

“We are so grateful to Patterdale Mountain Rescue for this lovely gift of food for our Christmas Appeal.  It’s wonderful that their team and their supporters have taken the time and effort to donate at such a busy and expensive time of year!  This much food will make a huge difference to so many individuals and families in the area who might otherwise go without over the Christmas period.”

Patterdale Mountain Rescue team member, Tony Recchia said:

“We’re all big fans of the Salvation Army because we’ve seen what a difference they make to the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the community. So at our own Christmas dinner it was a unanimous decision to have our own collection and to put our money towards buying and donating as much food as we could for Penrith Salvation Army’s Christmas appeal.

“We eventually bought three trollies’ worth of food with what was collected and it was just fantastic to be able to deliver it in person to Major Donaldson at the church.”

Penrith Salvation Army is situated at 1 Hunters Lane, CA11 7UY.  The church runs a varied weekly programme of services and activities for the whole community; including an Employment Plus service for jobseekers, parent and toddler sessions and services for older people in residential care homes. 

The Salvation Army is a church and charity dedicated to caring for people who are vulnerable or in need.  Salvation Army churches are at the heart of the local communities they serve and provide compassionate support, practical help and a warm welcome to anyone visiting them.