A letter from the Blandford Foodbank manager

Dear all

Many thanks for all wonderful donations recently, I am as always very grateful for the thought and care that goes into your donations.  The same amount of care goes into packing every single food parcel that goes out and when we can put in something that is not expected it makes it even more special.

Today we had a young couple come into the Foodbank, they had two very small children and the husband is out of work through no fault of his own.  His wife has  recently had to have a spell in hospital she’s been very poorly.  Because they have no family around he had to take two weeks off from his job as a delivery driver to look after his young children and because of this time off his company laid him off due to his unreliability!!

The family have signed on at the job centre, but again it takes up to 6 weeks to process any claim.  They have done everything correctly, been to the Housing Association for help with their rent, they been to Citizens Advice Bureau for help with their outgoings, but they still have no money coming in.  The husband actually said one of the expenses that they find quite difficult is that they go through 12 pints of milk each week due to the age of the young children.  This is where the Foodbank steps in; we were able to provide the family with a family food parcel containing extra milk and also some foods especially aimed at the young children.  This will allow the family to get through the six week period knowing that for the next few weeks there are a further two food parcels that they can access should they be needed.

So our plea for this weeks is:

Little tit bits that young children could eat

Rice

Tinned vegetables, particularly green veg: but no more sweetcorn please for awhile

Sugar

Jams and marmalades

We are also coming up to Easter, if anyone would like to put in an Easter egg or two  that would be lovely as a special treat to find in a food parcel.

Please also find attached a poster about a forthcoming Quiz that the Foodbank together with the Cupola Project are running to raise funds.  We would all love to see you there!!  Tickets are available from Blandford Forum Parish Church and Set Fair 4 Trade and are priced at £7.00. 

Many thanks for your continued support.

Gail Del-Pinto

Blandford Foodbank Manager

01258 456 093

The foodbank

Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:50:44 +0000

Dear all

I would like to take this opportunity in thanking everyone for the wonderful gifts of food that have appeared at the food bank during the past months, it’s come from the local churches ,the churches in the villages, local businesses and from everyone who shops at Co-op, Morrison’s and Tesco and those who call into the foodbank.  It has been wonderful to see your generosity.

I have just this minute had someone come in who wanted to give me some spices which they felt would help liven up some of the meals that people get in a food parcels.  They then asked if there was anything else that I was short of, jam I said, half hour later this person comes back to the foodbank carrying a shopping bag filled with jams (mixed fruit and strawberry),there was honey, there was lemon curd, and peanut butters!!  I’m finding it quite difficult to describe what I feel when things like this happen.  It is amazing to witness people’s need to  help those who are in crisis and particularly someone they have never met.  Then picture this ;

A middle aged lady comes into the Foodbank, she soaking wet, she is wearing layers of clothing to combat the cold, and you can see from her face that she is at her limit. She’s living in a caravan down a lane as she and her husband have been evicted, the police want to move her on, she’s not in receipt of benefit yet as it takes six weeks to put a claim through,  she’s not able help herself as her energy is at such a low due to extreme cold, lack of warm food and lack of hope.  She then receives her food parcel, filled with the food that you all have so wonderfully given, and she starts to cry.  ‘Is there anything the matter I ask her’, she says she is so overwhelmed; that people would do this for her!  I say that I will pray for her, she thanks me and opens her purse to show me the cross that’s lying within.  All her prayers, hopes and fears are pinned to that cross and then the light of love is shown in one generous gift.

That is what your individual donation gives – the realisation that someone cares.

If you would like to make a donation we are short of the following items:

Tinned tomatoes

Fruit juices

Tinned fruit

Toilet rolls

Toothpaste

Toothbrushes

Soap

Hair shampoo

Thank you.

Gail Del-Pinto

Blandford Foodbank Manager

01258 456 093