Emergency: 07749 322 291
Email: help@exmouthfoodbank.org.uk
We are always looking for ways to increase our reach as it is key for us that people in and around Exmouth know that we are here to help should they need us. We launched our website and Facebook pages earlier this year which have helped to raise awareness of the Food Bank, including how it works and the emergency food it offers. it’s great that many new clients have come to us for help having found us on these sites.
Next month we hope to spread the word about the Food Bank still further by ensuring that we have our contact details displayed in all local community centres, churches, GP surgeries and schools. We have produced some fantastic new posters and hope to get them visible in all of these places so we reach as many people as we possibly can.
During May we delivered 144 parcels which fed 283 people. Our records show that month on month this year there has been a gradual reduction in demand for the Food Bank. This is to be expected as COVID restrictions ease and people begin to return to work. However, although numbers are reducing, we are still serving three times as many clients as we did prior to the pandemic. We produce monthly graphs on the ‘impressive statistics’ page of our website which readers might find interesting.
Father’s Day is coming up in June. We will be preparing some extra treats for all our clients who are Dads which will go out alongside our normal food deliveries. We wish all of our Dads a great Father’s Day and hope that they enjoy their special day.
We are trialling a new idea which we are calling ‘Out of Hours Boxes’. We have made up some emergency food boxes and plan to deliver these to a number of designated collection points such as local churches, schools and community halls.
This means if we get an emergency call for food, and the request is outside of our usual operating days or hours, we can arrange for the client to pick up the box. The box will provide enough food to last them until we are open again and can deal with their ongoing needs.
We are working hard to plan how the Food Bank will work when COVID restrictions have fully ended. Before we start to see our clients face to face again, we need to clarify how we can do this safely and effectively. We also need to discuss the planned changes with our volunteer team as their jobs may change as we open up again.
Last month we mentioned that some building work was going to take place at the Salvation Army Hall in Sheppards Row, where the Food Bank is located. This is now underway. The staging area has been removed, the new roof is on and an office area is under development. We hope it will all be finished by the end of July and we can’t wait to see it!
