Making sure no-one goes hungry

4 Jun 2020 01:06
Published by: Scott Callan

Foundations Stockport has provided thousands of food bags to the community during the coronavirus crisis through its ‘Your Local Pantry’ programme.

The organisation has been providing pre-packed bags with a selection of food that can be collected in person from two of the pantries at Brinnington and Bridgehall.

For the most vulnerable households, a home delivery service also operates six days a week.

Not only has the service proved invaluable for existing pantry members, it also has provided support for callers to Stockport Council’s Covid helpline who are unable to go out and do not have family or friends to shop for them.

At its peak, the pantries were supplying 172 households a day with food bags. That number is now reducing as lockdown rules have relaxed slightly, but the service will continue for some time for those with serious health conditions.

Foundations Stockport is able to continue to support Your Local Pantry part due to Three Sixty, a local construction and property management company. Three Sixty is a ‘profit for purpose’ business and donated the majority of last year’s surplus profit to the programme.

In ‘normal’ circumstances, the pantries operate from five locations across the Borough, and are open to anyone in the local area in financial need.

For £3.50 per week, pantry members can select ten items from a range of fresh, frozen and store cupboard food.

Anyone living near a pantry (Bridghall, Brinnington, Mottram Street, Lancashire Hill and Woodley) who is in financial difficulties can join by selecting their nearest pantry on the service’s website. https://your-local-pantry.force.com/s/member-sign-up

Roger Phillips, who chairs the Foundations Stockport board, said: “The staff at ‘Your Local Pantry’ have been working hard to ensure that their members and local residents have had access to a vital resource throughout this uncertain time.

“I would like to thank all involved in keeping this important service running, in a time when it was most needed.

“I would also urge anyone who is self-isolating and is in need of food, to contact the pantry team by emailing pantry@stockporthomes.org

Foundations Stockport, the charitable arm of Stockport Homes Group, working to alleviate poverty and provide positive opportunities to improve the lives of people in Stockport.

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