In every crisis comes a silver lining, the fear, the bigotry, the ignorance around the Aids crisis in the 80s did lead to medical breakthroughs during which approx Aids killed 30 million people worldwide, the public Inquiry into the NHS blood Transfusion scandal is still happening in 2020 but took 30 years of activism by NHS hero , the first Aids nurse and my friend Carol Anne Grayson and others , whilst the support network that gave emotional and support to its victims through a network called buddies to those at a time when people needed it most, are back as We Care Foodbank through its Corona Community Support Network have re-established a network of local community volunteers who like some modern dating service match volunteers to people and families in isolation and crisis , a buddy for a single parent in a tower block with small children and no access to a garden, today has a buddy who reads stories down a phone line, gets shopping, toiletries, keeps them supported, a new friend close and supportive, the elderly at high risk left alone and isolated with families living so far away today have a buddy a friend at the end of the phone who pops round everyweek to deliver food and toliteries and to top up key meters , its the company they value , often more than the food they tell me, our food is delivered not by a different stranger every week , but by a friendly neighbour matched who will long after this crisis has come and gone be an important friend and family member thanks to this Buddy scheme we hope will be copied globally , our volunters value being valued , they see the lives they save and the difference they make to people on the edge yes every day we struggle to raise the cash to buy the food to feed the huge numbers that simple are not getting the cash from the money tree or simple find what help they are being told is out their does not match their reality , so if you can please donate. https://www.gofundme.com/f/corona-virus-community-support-network?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1 We are presently filming and recording much of what is going on in our community the extraordinary people, the amazing projects running on fresh air and the difference we are making we hope a mainstream broadcaster will screen our communities story
Today We Care Food Bank and The Corona Community Support Network, faces new issues to address the staggering number of people losing jobs and business coming our way for help whilst many of those who have volunteered are going back to work another source of worry and concern, whilst the cafes and restaurants running the food hot meals served to people in need will come under their own pressure when these businesses need to open. The good news this week, We Care have matched a food programme with a local school who had fifty families they had concerns about their well being, each family had a child getting free school meals so clearly the whole family was going hungry our project has insured going forward ALL these families will have ready healthy meals delivered to the School every week of the year including the Holidays, its the first project we are aware in the UK, starting in Deptford Lewisham, should this not be like our Buddy system rolled out to every school so after this crisis food hunger and loneliness is no longer an issue?