A Call To Serve

On December 15th 2008, Waterside Foodbank was launched. Foodbank is a initiative of local Christian churches providing local emergency food to those in crisis, and is a franchise of the Trussell Trust.

www.trusselltrust.org

Food is donated by the local churches, schools and businesses, and stores such as Tesco and Co-Op willingly allow Foodbank to hold food collection days in their stores. Foodbank is staffed entirely by volunteers who sort out boxes in the Warehouse, stand in supermarkets and man the distribution centre.

Foodbank has already distributed some 224 emergency food boxes, meaning that 318 adults and 232 children have been fed throughout 2009. In total 2845.9 kg of food has been donated and 3468.4 kg of food has been distributed in emergency food boxes during the year.

The reasons for accessing the food are varied but the lack of adequate provision by the statutory authorities when changes occur in people's circumstances is far and away the most pressing need for people in our area.

Foodbank is pleased that to date 15 professional agencies are now associated with Foodbank by way of holding Foodbank vouchers and directing people to Foodbank in their time of crisis. The demand for the service is rising with more professional agencies wanting to use the services of the project - a testament to the value and integrity of the service Foodbank provides to the community.

As from January 2010, Foodbank will be operating out of their own premises in Blackfield at 193 Hampton Lane. These premises will enable Foodbank to be more accessible to both those in need of food and those donating food. It will also give Foodbank more room to expand and, in the near future, open a low priced second-hand clothing area, providing yet another service to the local community.

Food collection days are currently being planned, and if you would like to help out in any way with this or any other part of the project, or would like more information about this exciting project, please call the Foodbank coordinator on 077 687 13329.