Local supermarket Morrison’s in Haydon Wick is establishing a new donation drop point in their store which will support the work of The Swindon Food Collective. The three parish councillors David Renard, Garry Perkins and Oliver Donachie will be at the store to launch the new scheme at 12 noon on Wednesday 14thAugust 2019 and show their support for the work of the Swindon Food Collective and appreciation of the Morrison’s partnership.
Morrison’s supermarket in Haydon Wick is supporting the work of the Swindon Food Collective by installing a customer’s food donation point at the end of their tills. The stores Community Champion Sandra Graver said that “Our staff team wanted to help the local food bank and we thought that the best way we could do that was to have a point where people can regularly give to the charity as we know that they are completely dependent on the generosity of local people as donors of non-perishable in-date food. These donations will help ensure that the food collective can continue to help local people who find themselves in such a tough financial situation that they cannot put a meal on the table for their family. Morrison’s are proud to be partnering with the Swindon Food Collective to help our local community”.
Cher Smith, The Swindon Food Collective Manager said “This new initiative is really appreciated as we are starting to see more and more people from the SN25 area being referred to us and this is a way for neighbours to help each other anonymously. Last year The Swindon Food Collective gave out over 6 tons of food and fed 6,191 people of whom almost 30% were children. The opening of this donation point means that people can give to the charity more easily and indirectly help their friends and neighbours.”
The Swindon Food Collective partners with a wide range of professionals such as teachers, health visitors and social workers as well as Citizens Advice and many other statutory and voluntary organisations to identify people in crisis and give them a food bank voucher to access emergency food. People can then bring their voucher to one of the Swindon Food Collective’s 7 distribution centres where it can be redeemed for three – five days’ emergency food. Their volunteers welcome people to the centres and over a cup of tea offer them a listening ear and on many occasions’ people can be signposted to further support to help resolve the crisis they face.
The Swindon Food Collective help local people look after other local people as all the in-date food donations go straight back to people in our local community. No one should be left hungry because of illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job – all of which could happen to any of us at any time. Cher Smith went on to say “Many of our clients tell us that their salary or basic income is not covering the cost of essentials or they have delays in their benefit payments or changes to their circumstances have affected them badly and it is this which has caused the crisis and their need for an emergency food parcel”.
Anyone wishing to support the Swindon Food Collective can do so by leaving donations of food at the store or via their Facebook page or via or through the Swindon Food Collective webpage.
