Yom Kippur and Food Poverty Miki Lentin
This week we heard from Ann O'Daly who started and leads the Hornsey Food Bank who this year are one of our charities for our High Holy Day Appeal. Last year for our Yom Kippur appeal we supported the Felix Project and raised c.5,000.
Earlier today I did my weekly round of deliveries to people in need across the area, all within a one mile radius of the Middle Lane Methodist Church where the Hornsey Food Bank has been set up for around a year now. The people I deliver bags of food to are diverse and probably we'd all pass them in the street and not realise or know at all that they are all food poor. They range from the disabled, to single parents, the elderly, infirm etc but most of the time they look like you and I. As part of our service we don't, of course, question who gets a weekly food bag, but we just make the delivery in the hope that it helps.
Every week when I drive around Crouch End, I always think the same thing. I and the other volunteers shouldn't be having to do this.
As I think we've heard before, food poverty is a serious issue locally and across the UK. Every week the foodbank in Hornsey supports over 100 guests on average who can come to the food bank, collecting for nearly 400 people, 250 adults and 150 kids. Last week we did 24 deliveries to a total of 39 people, including 14 children or teenagers. People are referred to the service through local connections and the council, but the foodbank is often there where council support and local services are too stretched to help.
As well as the staples - long life milk, cereals, tinned food and toilet paper, we also deliver more bespoke items for people who need other items - sanitary products, soft food for people who find it hard to chew, coffee which for many is expensive, vegan and vegetarian food, nappies for parents of young kids, soap, cleaning products... essential things that we all take for granted, but many don't.
I'm amazed by the commitment of the volunteers in the foodbank. There is a weekly service on Thursdays when people can come in and take what they need, but when I go in on Wednesday's I'm so impressed by the optimism, the spirit and brilliance of those who volunteer to set things up and help. But it's an ongoing task. It's not something you can just do once and the problem I'm sure will only get worse as we go into winter.
Please do try and give generously. A JustGiving page has been set up which you can see here. Also, if you'd like to give products you can deliver them to our house (I can give you the address) and I will take them in on a weekly basis.
Baby wipes
Nappies size 5/6/7
Cleaning products
Laundry tablets
Washing up liquid
Cooking oil
Long life fruit juice
Tinned sweetcorn
Instant coffee
Tinned salmon