At Rye Food Bank we have had to quickly adopt new procedures to ensure the safety of clients, suppliers, people making donations and volunteers and all those we are now delivering food to in crisis at this time. This, together with the significant rise in demand, has meant we have been ultra busy!
Chris Emson, food bank manager, tells us that she is now receiving referrals of those in crisis from a number of new agencies including Rother District Council and Early Help (support for families).
In common with everyone else since lockdown began, it has been difficult to source some products, and tinned vegetables, especially tomatoes, were in very short supply. We were also very low on a number of other basic staples, and having trouble sourcing deliveries.
This week the fantastic donation from the Jempson’s Foundation, a delivery to the value of over £4,000, sees our stock cupboards good for about four weeks, along with the many other generous donations from Rye businesses and individuals – and Chris and the team of volunteers thank you all so much for your help and support.
This week the food bank processed 56 orders for families, which represents food for 159 adults and children. By way of comparison for the week of 26 February, food was supplied for 26 adults and 13 children – a total of 39.
[Editor’s note: The first recorded case of the coronavirus was two Chinese visitors in York on January 29. The first case of someone who had caught the virus in the UK was believed to be a month later on February 28. So calls on the food bank have multiplied four times since then. The UK lockdown started on March 23, just over three weeks after the first infection within the UK was reported.]
Supplies needed next week are for tinned tomatoes and meat products such as corned beef.
Image Credits: Mags Ivatts .
Could you please let us know how to donate? Address? Email? Telephone number? Thanks.
Thank you very much Paul. You can drop items round to the back garden of Rye Baptist church and leave them there on Wednesday afternoons between 12 and 3 pm. Otherwise bank payments can be made to Bexhill Food Bank Rye Branch account number 83501116 sort code 20-54-25.
Good point Paul. For those ordering from The Rye Deli one can make a donation at the end of the order and they deliver to the foodbank
Donations can be made via the Jempsons Foundation website at: https://www.jempsons.com/jempson-foundation-rye-food-bank-appeal/. (Which can also be found by googling Jempsons Food Bank Appeal).
Talking of which, Jempsons deserve a special mention for supporting the Rye Food Bank with supplies at cost price when the main supermarkets are limiting purchases and/or delaying deliveries.
Also, we could make use of a supply of new, unused cardboard boxes. We no longer re-use plastic carriers and are concerned about the environmental impact of using new ones. The ideal box size is 18 x 12 x 12inches or larger. Bournes generously donated a pack of 80 but these were used up in no time.
Yes to a mention for Stephen Jempson! Not only was he quick off the mark with his team by transforming his business (just before lockdown) for home delivery (now thousands of orders per week) but he is willingly supporting the Rye Foodbank with significant amounts of food.
REACT
Jempsons have come in for a lot of flack in Rye (some of it from me) but they really have stepped up to help the Food Bank in this time of need. Tesco left us high and dry when the panic buying started and Jempsons stepped in with large deliveries when we needed them. Thank you.
And if anyone complains there is no tinned meat left in Jempsons, that’s because it was generously donated to the Food Bank.
We should also thank Rother District Council (who similarly come in for a lot of flack in Rye). They used their trade contacts to provide two large deliveries of food and groceries this month (totalling more than one a half tonnes).
And another thing….
Food Bank customers used to make collections from the Baptist Church in Cinque Ports Street. Since the advent of social distancing, we discourage visitors and now make deliveries to the doorstep. This was only made possible by the Hands of Hope Charity in Peasmarsh who generously provide their natty electric van (zero emissions you’ll be pleased to know) and the electricity to run it.