Food Banks in Havering

The Foodbank at Harold Hill was set up in January 2012.  Since then it has helped out more than 1000 people.

It was set up as a new charity by volunteers from the local community who saw that there was a need for it in their area.

All sorts of people are using the Foodbank, including single people, families, the elderly, working people and people on benefits.

People can need the support of the Foodbank for a variety of reasons, such as their benefit has been delayed, their income is very low, they have just received a big bill or even because of situations such as domestic violence.

  

40 organisations around the borough hold vouchers that they can give to people who they think are in need of the services of the Foodbank.  They would then take this voucher along and exchange it for a supply of emergency food for them and their family for 3 days.

Organisations involved include churches, schools, Job Centres, Citizens Advice Bureau and Social Services.

People can use the services of the Foodbank up to 3 times.  All clients are welcomed with a cup of tea while they fill out paperwork etc and they are made to feel at ease and comfortable.  Obviously for many it is a very stressful and upsetting time.  Everyone will be offered help to try and find a way through their current situation.  Help such as debt counselling or budgeting skills.

The food is donated from 80 local organisations and individual people, including supermarkets, churches and schools.

The Foodbank is run by a large group of volunteers.  They are from local churches, retired local people or even former clients of the foodbank.  

The website is http://haroldhill.foodbank.org.uk  if you would like to find out more or make a donation.  The list of items currently on the shopping list on the website is quite small, due to a surplus of some items already in stock.  At the moment they have an endless supply of baked beans!

The worrying thing is that the demand for the services of the Foodbank is continuing to grow.  And it is likely to continue growing with the changes in benefit entitlement about to come in to force.

Other worries include how the Foodbank continues to meet its operating costs and its overheads.  And to cap it all, the lease is about to run out on their current premises and at the moment they don’t know where they will go next.

It feels wrong that in the 21^st century people are going hungry in our local communities and that the services of charities such as the Harold Hill Foodbank is needed.  But admiration should go to the volunteers who are running this service and are trying to do something about it.

Foodbanks are also operating in the Collier Row and Rainham areas of Havering.