Monday 24 September 2012

Deptford & New Cross free food bank access

After 97 local households responded to the Local Campaigner News Letter from People before profit seeking to use the food bank that we have launched for Deptford and New Cross Residents, it will be up and Running from 28th September. The food bank is aimed at helping local residents who run out of money or are just finding it impossible to eat on some days, having seen the numbers of local residents going through the estate rubbish bins on bin collection days, and having listerned to the mother who with her husband, had set up a small local business, as such they could not get benefit, and with the economy in decline started to lose large numbers of contracts, some days she would go without food, by pretending she had eaten with the Children, with the closure of the breakfast club, some days the shame of having no food to put in the childrens lunch boxes, lead to the children being kept of school as if they were sick, rarther than the shame of no food. With Universal credit about to become law in April in which people will need to claim on line in order to get money, and with payments made at the end of the month, myself and Barbara Raymond and the rest of the Deptford and New Cross People before Profit team, have set up a seperate charity called, We Care.. we have very real conserns that huge numbers of our local residents will simply have nothing to eat. We have the use of the empty studio on Hartes Lane New Cross which is Occupied by Lewisham People before profit, and which we have turned into an Arts and Music Centre with free Community space open to all. This will be our Base to distribute the food if you are aware of anyone in need. please email me in confidence. We are having in the short term only help SE8 and SE14 postcodes as we expect to be feeding around 1000 households by April, and we are limited by time and space. This food bank is not giving cooked meals or a daily shopping basket, it will offer basic foods and stuff such as Tooth paste and Loo rolls to help people out until the next money arrives, it is not open to the Homeless as we already have a number of groups in the area that deal with this sector. We continue to be shocked at the numbers and type of local residents needing our help. All people seeking food, must contact us by Phone, email or drop by the new cross office. We can then work out what you need such as do you have pets? meat or none eaters? do you have children? then a weekly box is organised for each person to collect or be delivered by our army of local residents who are helping. Dropping of Food; If you have any food you are not using, or can spare some tins, or fresh fruit, Vegtables etc, please drop into; Housemartins Offices; 37 Plough Way London Se16 2LS 9am-6.30 every day monday to friday and 9.30am-3pm Saturday. New Cross/ Deptford Drop, point; Housemartins Office; 467 New Cross Road Deptford; Monday to Friday 10am-2pm. This is also the best place to sign up for a food parcel.

4 comments:

Ray Barron Woolford said...

We have a further Food Drop point at Honor Oak next to the Estate Agents Sabastion Roche.The estate agent will take in food when the shoip is un-staffed. We are seeing more and more people sign up every day so New Cross is becoming to small to cover the whole borough. Sabastion Roche have given us the Shop free to use over the Christmas period.

Unknown said...

Is the New Cross/Deptford Food Bank still open and at the same address? I am the parish priest of St John Chrysostom Meeting House Peckham and wonder if I can refer people to you - and how to do that

Ray Barron Woolford said...

Thank you for your interest in Food Bank. We welcome any resident of Lewisham or Greenwich Borough. each person must produce proof of address and arrive any day Monday to Saturday 11am-2pm at Our New Cross Road/Deptford SE14 6TA office. clearly marked.
We are in talks about opening We care Food banks in Southwark Borough and other areas in need.

Ivor121 said...

Hi Ray just googled for a local food bank and found yours and was wondering if its still going only i live in se8 and am now finding it hard to buy food what with the room tax and high energy bills, Regards Ivor