GreenwichVisitor December 2017 Page 5 THE
FOOD BANK FACES BUSIEST TIME OF YEAR...WITH YOUR HELP HELP COLLECTION POINT: At Sainsbury’s before food is sorted (right)
Want to help Greenwich Food Bank in other ways? The charity is on the look out for volunteer drivers to help collect and deliver food. Call 07771 830549 if you can help.
* Can we help BEAN COUNTERS: Shelf after shelf of baked beans, carefully sorted by best-by date Picture: CIARA CLARK FITZPATRICK
food bank? * Yes we can ! * ( But please give fewer cans of beans and more cans of veg, fruit and meat)
packed floor to ceiling with 19,000 tins of baked beans – “at the last count,” Alan jokes – sorted by Best By dates and even spilling in to a corridor. “And we never, ever asked for baked beans.” “We’re particularly on the look out for tinned veg – like peas and carrots – tinned meat, tinned fruit, long life milk and juice,” he says. “We also provide baby essentials and cat food – which is important to people too – toiletries and feminine hygiene products. Those surged after people had watched the film I, Daniel Blake recently.” I spot many of the boxes are decorated by youngsters. Alan tells me that of 60 tonnes of food given each year, 10 tonnes are from harvest festivals,
where schools, churches and community groups join founded in 2012 by local churches and community forces. Ninety per cent of Greenwich Food groups. It has 150 volunteers – including Alan – Bank’s food is given by the public. and one paid employee and is supported along I’m also intrigued to hear a positive part with another 427 centres across the UK by the played by a supermarket chain keen not to Trussell Trust. profit from food banks. The Trust’s Chief Executive Mark Ward Tesco, Alan tells me, makes a donation says: “The simple truth is that even with the of the value of all the food bought enormous generosity of our donors and and donated by shoppers in its volunteers, we’re concerned food banks stores. could struggle to meet demand this winter “It means that if supplies were if critical changes to benefit delivery ever to dry up, the Food Bank has aren’t made now.” the funds to replenish stock,” he Come on...let’s all step up to the plate! ESSENTIALS: says. But not so many beans, please. Alan Robinson Info: www.greenwich.foodbank.org.uk Greenwich Food Bank was
Get appdate on what’s needed NOT sure what to donate? Alan showed me a truly modern solution – you can download a simple Foodbank app in seconds on your smartphone. Then scroll down and select Greenwich Food Bank – one of hundreds registered across the country. Next time you shop you can use the the app to tell you what’s needed urgently, what stock is low and what is well-stocked. Pasta sauce and tea bags were in demand when I tried it. It can also guide you to the nearby collection point.
Lots of places to do your bit FIND collection points at: Charlton House, The Eltham Centre, The Forum at Greenwich, Greenwich Community College and Woolwich Centre; Tesco Woolwich; Sainsbury’s and Asda in Charlton, Sainsbury’s Local on Greenwich High Road and Fenton Parade, Woolwich; Waitrose Greenwich, Co-op on Well Hall Road and Herbert Road and Morrison’s in Thamesmead.