Published on 11/12/2010

What is Harlow Food Bank and can you help?

Harlow foodbank is a community project in which everyone can be involved in helping their neighbour through times of crisis.

Harlow foodbank has been operating since April 2009 and up to the end of October 2010 has supported / fed 1,863 people (1,152 adults & 711 children)
The foodbank supports an average of 149 people with emergency food each month
Up to the end of March 2010 Harlow foodbank has collected over 18 tonnes of donated food from the people of Harlow and the surrounding area
Harlow foodbank currently works in partnership with 43 churches, 33 front-line care professionals, 23 schools, 3 Supermarkets and LOKnSTORE in Harlow
Food is all non-perishable and each referred client receives 3 days worth of nutritionally balanced food
The foodbank currently has 32 volunteers working within the project
Reasons for referrals:

Up to now Harlow foodbank has had two main warehouses which are located at St Mary's Church Hall in Great Pardon and at LOKnSTORE in Edinburgh Way, Harlow. Both of these facilities have been offered to the foodbank free of charge, which has been such a blessing to the project and helps the charity to direct its funding into further developing the work as the needs increase. These two warehouses are now at full capacity and there is an urgent need for Harlow foodbank to find a new donated warehouse building in Harlow which can accommodate all its work into one building. This building would have to be on ground floor level and the minimum size we need would be 115 square metres and the maximum 450 square metres. We are looking for a Harlow based business with a heart for the community who can offer the foodbank warehouse space within its normal work operation. This new facility would enable the foodbank to increase its capacity to serve more people in crisis in Harlow and the surrounding area and also help the project to further develop its Supported Volunteer Programme.

§ If anyone can help with a warehouse for Harlow Foodbank they should contact Gary Knott on 01279 724515 or 07734 128430

§ For more information visit: www.mrct.org.uk/foodbank

§ Clients are referred to the foodbank by frontline care professionals who are best positioned to identify people in crisis. Care professionals issue their client with a foodbank voucher which can be redeemed for three days of emergency food.

§ Foodbanks also provide signposting to agencies that are able to help provide longer term solutions to any problems, for example, debt counselling.

§ Clients are referred to foodbanks for a huge variety of reasons, including: redundancy, benefit delay, unemployment, illness, debt, an unexpected bill, or bereavement. Most people who use the foodbank are not homeless.

Contact Details:

Michael Roberts Charitable Trust (MRCT)
The Rainbow Centre, 2 Wych Elm,

Harlow, Essex CM20 1QP

Tel: 01279 724515 Mobile: 07734 128430

Registered Charity Number: 1065006
Registered Company Number: 3439299

(Registered in England & Wales)

Gary Knott

Director of Community Services