This week Rye Food bank was again very busy, as demand remains high and much greater than before lockdown started, with 62 deliveries to homes and food for 202 adults and children.
Chris Emson and her team of volunteers are all impressed by the incredible generosity within our local community which enables us to provide emergency food parcels to families in crisis each week.
In response to our appeals, we have received amazing and generous support from many local community groups, clubs and societies. The Rotary Club of Rye and Winchelsea has been consistently generous and has stepped in to help whenever we have asked.
Many of the businesses and shops in Rye have helped us and continue to help us with donations of food, money, boxes, carrier bags, regular deliveries of goods and anything else we have said we need and Jempson’s has been very generous. Thank you all so much.
When the Trussel Trust changed policy to cope with the pandemic, we became a delivery only service and Rye Community Transport helps out with the use of one of their vans and drivers to do the deliveries of emergency food parcels to Icklesham, Camber and the surrounding villages. Hands of Hope Charity also donated the use of an electric van and this has been an enormous help.
We have seen an amazing surge of support from the people of Rye – with individuals who donate time, money and food to support others. It is so very heart-warming to experience this selfless giving at such a time of need. We all appreciate it so much. Each donation really does count. Thank you all so much.
Without the support of the people of Rye, we wouldn’t be able to continue to support desperate families. As the lockdown continues, it’s likely that more and more people will need to use Rye Food Bank and, without your continuing support, we won’t be able to provide basic necessities for those falling into financial crisis.
This week the community of Camber, including Pontins Holiday Park, sent a van load of donations collected at the Kit Kat Cafe.
Items we are short of for next week are tinned vegetables (not sweetcorn), tomatoes and rice. If you can help us with these items that would be so appreciated. Donations of tinned food can be received at the back of the Baptist Church in Cinque Ports Street on Wednesdays from 10am until about 4pm.
Donations can be sent to the Rye Branch of Bexhill Food Bank at Barclays bank, sort code 20-54-25, account number 83501116 or https://www.jempsons.com/jempson-foundation-rye-food-bank-appeal/ or cheques to Rye Food Bank c/o 24 North Salts, Rye TN31 7NU.
Image Credits: Mags Ivatts .
Thank you Mags for another great update on the Food Bank. A few extra points & clarifications which your readers might appreciate:
– The strapline for the top photo says “The Food Bank – stocked up for a while”. We received deliveries and donations of more than 2.3 tonnes this week. That’s equivalent to 90 large weekly shops for an average family. Despite this, we have only enough stock for one more week of deliveries at the current rate. We urgently need donations of food, groceries and funds.
– Donations would be gratefully accepted on TUESDAY between 10am and 1pm at the Baptist Church. We do all the packing on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning so any donations after that would have to be stored and would not be used until the following week. We close at 3pm on Wednesday.
– There have indeed been generous donations of food and other items from the local community. However, many people do not realise that most (>85%) of the food distributed is bought and paid for by the Food Bank. We received an unusually large amount of food donations this week (a good example shown in your second picture) but even so that only accounted for 15% of our incoming produce.
– Many people also do not realise that the Food Bank receives no funding whatsoever from either central or local government. We are therefore totally reliant on financial donations. Hence your donations are very welcome at https://www.jempsons.com/jempson-foundation-rye-food-bank-appeal/
Thank you everyone for your kindness and consideration.
Well done all involved plus Karen Jeffrey.
Carol