Yate & Chipping Sodbury Foodbank
What is it?
The foodbank provides emergency meals for 3 days to people in short term crisis.
The crisis can be the result of problems such as benefit delay/withdrawal, separation, unexpected bills, debt, bereavement or redundancy.
It's a service provided by local volunteers for local people in short term difficulties, to remove the worry of feeding their families while problems are sorted out.
How it works
Food is collected by churches, schools, businesses, other groups and from the public by collecting outside supermarkets.
The food is sorted by type and date and stored ready for use.
Care professionals allocate vouchers to people they encounter at work who need food.
The client takes their voucher to The Candle and collects a food parcel and other essentials such as toiletries.
While the parcel is prepared, trained staff talk to the client to see how else they can help, e.g. with debt advice or by liaising with official agencies.
This is a typical example of a client:
If, twelve months ago, someone had told me that I’d be relying on a ‘Foodbank’ to feed me, I would have laughed at them; life was going swimmingly.
Then, out of a clear blue sky, I found myself handed a series of events that were both unexpected and out of my control. I found my income cut off with, sadly, my financial commitments remaining. Before I knew it, I had mere pennies in my bank account and no food in my fridge.
Whilst I’d assumed that the welfare state that I’d paid into for years would help me, I found that I’d been pretty much hung out to dry. Every Government and Local Authority avenue I tried proved to be hopeless. Quite simply there was nothing available in the ‘system’ for people like me.
By the time I found Yate & Chipping Sodbury foodbank, I hadn’t eaten for three days and I was desperate.
If I’m honest, there’s far more embarrassment than pleasure having to go cap-in-hand to a food charity. That said, they treated me with understanding, compassion and moreover, like a human being.
How you can help
Visit www.yatechippingsodbury.foodbank.org.uk to find out how to:
- donate food
- hold a fundraising event
- give funds
- volunteer
How to contact Yate Foodbank
The Foodbank is based at The Candle, 88 Station Road, Yate BS37 4PH
Opening hours are Tuesdays 2-4pm and Fridays 10am-12noon.
For more information, please call 01454 273560 or 07512 523343.
Visit our website: www.yatechippingsodbury.foodbank.org.uk
Email us:
Yate and Chipping Sodbury foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust's UK wide foodbank network.
