Started in February 2015, the Food Bank is a church led community project that aims to enable the community to support local people who are at crisis point with the provision of food.
We provide a week’s supply of dried and tinned food and other provisions donated by churches, individuals, charities and businesses.
Our motivation is to reflect the love and grace of Jesus in our difficult and challenging world.
What we have done to date
Much of our work in 2015 was devoted to establishing the Food Bank including collection channels for the community to donate food.
- a voucher referral system – we only provide food to people who have been referred to us after vetting by local referral agencies
- Food Bank Office at the Youth Hall in Bishop’s Waltham from where most people collect their food
2016 has been a year of consolidation and the number of people we supported has increased from 349 to 415, which includes 232 children, demonstrating the need for a food bank in the Meon Valley.
Future of the Youth Hall
The Food Bank Office is currently based at the Youth Hall in Bishop’s Waltham
Future of the Youth Hall In the Summer the Youth Hall Trustees informed us of proposals for the redevelopment of the Malt Lane site and a new youth hall.
The current youth hall provides an ideal base for the food bank and will continue to be available to us at least until July 2018.
Temporary accommodation will then be needed from that date. The Food Bank Committee has started making enquiries to find alternative accommodation and would welcome any suggestions.
We are especially grateful to
- Our volunteers who check, sort and pack food, and provide tea and chats when people collect their food
- Bishop’s Waltham Youth Club for providing accommodation at a much reduced rent
- Meon Valley Lions who use their mini bus to transport donated food and deliver food to people who are unable to collect it
- Numerous organisations and individuals who have donated food and money
Finances
An update on finances can be found on page 2 of the MVFB Annual Report2016