PACT Food Store
February 2012: Donations
Some statistics from the Food Store - the need is ever greater.
| Period | Number of Issues | Adults Helped | Children Helped |
| 16 September 2010 to 18 September 2011 | 84 | 132 | 102 |
| 19 September 2011 to 9 February 2012 | 87 | 138 | 131 |
As you can see we have issued more food in the last 5 months than we did in the previous year. Demand is on the increase and supply is not now keeping up with the demand.
Food and Money Donations
There has been a continued response of food for the store since the end of the Harvest period. Food has, until very recently, kept up with demand. Demands are now on the increase as we approach Christmas.
- A donation of £213 has been received from the Waitrose's Community Fund. Thank you to those of you who selected the Food Store for the donation of your tokens during September.
- St Peters Church very kindly auctioned off the perishable goods from its Harvest Festival and the resulting sum of £137.30 was given to the Food Store.
- An anonymous donor gave £100 to the Food Store in the second week of December. Heartfelt thanks to the generous person whoever hthey were.
- Other smaller sums of money have also been donated so that some extra special bits and pieces are being added to the tinned food normally given out to less fortunate members of our community.
Bless you and continued thanks on behalf of the many people who are benefitting from your generosity.
December 2011: Report on the Last Year's Activities
The store has been running in its present form since 16th September 2010. 121 issues of food have been made in the period 16th September 2010 until 10 December 2011. These issues have assisted 189 adults and 164 children.
Getting Items from the Food Store
Food and a limited range of toiletries are available for issue to people in urgent need. Forms for authorisation of issue are available at:
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Someone will be available to issue food from the store held in the Salvation Army Hall in Swan Street at the following times:
| Day | Times | |
| Monday | 9:30 am to 11:30 am | |
| Tuesday | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am to 12:00 noon | |
| Thursday | 9:30 am to 11:30 am | |
| Friday | 9:30 am to 11:30 am |
Other times can be arranged, if urgently required, outside of the published times by contacting:
- Captain Linda Read (The Salvation Army) on 01730 262 820 or 0787 2407 403.
If you are not able to reach Captain Linda on these numbers then telephone
- Brian Edwards (Food Store Manager) on 02392 592 067.
Donating to The Food Store
Food donations are essential for the Food Bank to operate. These can be made by placing donations in the receptacles provided at each of the PACT Churches and at the Salvation Army Hall during the times published for the issue of food.
The following list is a guide to the items required but please note that any items which are past their 'use by' dates have to be discarded as these cannot be issued.
| All types of tinned food including: | Other Food and Toiletries: | |||
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... and anything else that you feel would be of use to people who are struggling to make ends meet.
From Dawn Bellman, Centre Manager, Heath, Hillside and Treetop Children's Centre
Dear Captain Read.
I would like to express my gratitude to all of the people who have donated food. This has been really helpful for those vulnerable families that the children's centre works with. Several of them are often in a crisis situation where they have run out of money or have used the money to pay for the essentials they need to feed themselves or their children.
The children's centre is able to support their emotional needs in most cases but cannot provide the practicalities they require to live from day to day. Having your valuable service available to them has made a difference to us as well as the families we work with. Thank you once again and please keep up the excellent work you do as I fear there will be even more of a need for your kindness in the future. I have listed just some of the positive comments we have received from the families who have accessed your service.
- Very helpful people who helped me choose what I needed.
- I usually run out of money and food by Wednesday but had some food in the cupboard because of the food parcel.
- I was evicted and had to live in bed and breakfast with the baby. I used all my money to top up my mobile so I could call my mum, so I was really grateful when the children's centre gave me the form for the Salvation Army food parcel.