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north EDITION roundtownnews.com
4 - 10 january 2013
Issue 690
Harvest home HELPING FEED the hungry of a Costa Blanca resort has become a challenge for a couple and their handful of volunteers. by Jack Troughton
Freddy Frankland
Missing! The family of expat Frederick Michael Frankland is appealing for help in tracing the missing 75-year-old who has not been seen since the morning of Tuesday 18th December at his home in La Nucia. ‘Freddy’ suffers from Alzheimer’s and was last seen wearing a brown sweater and long blue trousers. Anyone with information is asked to call the local police in La Nucia on 96 587 0533. For the full story turn to page 3
The newly opened Harvest Store in Javea Port Market is handing out food to some 61 family units – 39 needing support every week and another 22 calling for a helping hand every two to three weeks. The shelves in the shop unit run by Peter and Tricia Cox constantly need filling – generous members of the public donate food at various ‘Drop in a Box’ sites around the town and others make donations. But Peter, an ordained minister and a teacher at Xabia International College, told RTN the Harvest Store was now desperate to have a regular income stream to help continue its work. He said the standard food basket cost around 11€. “This week we will need 429€, that’s for a basket for 39 families and we are being as frugal as we can be. “We are now getting to a point where we have to have a regular income of approximately 500€ to 600€ a week if we are to help everybody.” Sadly, they have taken the decision not to invest in baby food unless it is donated. “It is 20€ for a pack of nappies, baby wipes, shampoo and dusting powder and a tin
of milk – we had to make the decision at this moment in time we cannot buy baby products because one set of baby products is two food baskets.” However, there are ‘treats’ – donated food items like baked beans – now much in demand – and British favourites like tins of rice pudding and custard. In addition to the food, the Harvest Store also has a stock of children’s clothing, shows, and toys, which are also donated – many of them new. Peter said people of all nationalities, including British, were referred to the Harvest Store by the El Faro Baptist Church, Social Services, and the charity Guardian Angels – which supports single parent families. He said the Iceland Supermarket had been marvellous in its support, which a generous woman had purchased nine trolleys full of food and donated a fridge-freezer. Peter said the Drop in a Box scheme had been running for 30 months but Harvest Store had been launched to try and fill the gap as the recession bit deeper and Javea’s Red Cross and Caritas charities were unable to cope with growing numbers of desperate people. Continued on page 5