Footballer Marcus Rashford visited a food bank with his mum yesterday, as part of his ongoing campaign to stop child food poverty in the UK.
It comes after MPs voted down Labour's plan to provide the most vulnerable children with free school meals during the half term holidays, and until Easter 2021.
The pair visited FareShare Greater Manchester's new food depot at New Smithfield Market, which will be named after Rashford's mum Melanie.
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He tweeted the news out, announcing it will be called Melanie Maynard House.
The 22-year-old called for people to unite to make sure no child goes hungry, after the coronavirus pandemic has meant that many low paid workers have lost their jobs.
The footballer wrote to MPs speaking about a food voucher scheme he used as a child.
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He said: "I remember the sound of my mum crying herself to sleep to this day, having worked a 14-hour shift, unsure how she was going to make ends meet."
He said: "The real superstars in this country can be found in the heart of most cities, towns and villages, working tirelessly to support our most vulnerable across the UK.
"As FareShare and other food-related charities approach one of the toughest Winters on record, with demand higher than ever before, it is important that I stay connected and lend my support wherever it is needed.
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"When we stumble, there will always be a community to wrap their arms around us and pick us back up. For many of us, that is FareShare or the local food bank.
"Food banks who are staffed with selfless volunteers, dedicating their lives to protecting those most vulnerable, those who, in many cases, have fallen into unforeseen circumstances due to illness, personal loss and unemployment.
"It should be noted that a lot of these volunteers have themselves suffered unemployment as a result of the pandemic, yet they still strive to help others less fortunate.
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"That to me is the greatest example of what we can do, and the difference we can make, when we just work together."
Rashford has been sharing tweets from independent businesses offering food for children - many of which have been struck by the pandemic themselves - to his 3.5 million followers.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter
