N the heart of east Manchester, a woman opens the front door. A rush of cold air and rain hits her as she stands in the hallway. She clutches her dressing gown and wraps it tightly around her.
"I've got no family or anyone to spend Christmas with," she says. "I'm handling it, but I've been needing support for a long time." The M.E.N. has joined food bank charity Humans MCR to help deliver some of the 840 festive hampers lovingly put together to help those struggling across the region. It's the day before Christmas Eve and 36 volunteers have packed their cars to the brim with packages.
They have everything people need for a hearty Christmas dinner - as well as presents for kids and festive treats for adults. The deliveries will ensure hundreds of people who might otherwise go without have a little joy on Christmas Day.
The charity works tirelessly all year round to deliver an average of 300 food parcels a week on average. But over the past three days at Humans MCR HQ, volunteers and team members have taken things up a Humans M Lewey He gear, gift-wrapping 500 presents and books, as well as packaging tonnes of groceries.
For many across our region, Christmas presents are a luxury they simply cannot afford amid the cost of living crisis - as is an extravagant dinner on December 25.
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