Foodbank Launches in Shepherd's Bush

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St Simons Church joins initiative helping to feed families in crisis

St Simon’s Shepherds Bush is now hosting a branch of the Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank, which provides emergency food for people in crisis.

This is the second foodbank in our borough, operating alongside the existing site at ChristChurch in Fulham.

The branch launched on Thursday September  27 with an open evening and started providing food to those in need on Thursday October 4, with opening times from 1pm to 3pm.

Foodbanks are an initiative of the Trussell Trust, a Christian charity which partners with churches and communities to open new foodbanks right across the UK. With 100 foodbanks currently launched, the Trust's goal is for every town to have one.

Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. Foodbanks provide a minimum of three days' emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis, and last year alone, the Trust's UK foodbank network fed over 60,000 people.

The Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank (HFFB) has already given out around 13 tonnes of food from its Fulham site since opening in June 2010. In  the first financial year, it fed over 1,100 people, whilst by the end of this financial year, it is expected to feed around 2,000 people, providing 20,000 meals.

All food is donated by the public and sorted by volunteers. Frontline care professionals such as doctors and social workers identify people in crisis and issue food vouchers for clients, who receive three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food in exchange for their food voucher.

For more information about the Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank, to volunteer, join the cake bake rota, donate, refer someone or receive help email: http://www.stsimons.co.uk/admin@hffb.org or visit the website.

 

October 4, 2012

October 4, 2012