Good morning church,
Councillor Stephen Cooper (Mayor of Trowbridge) attended our ‘Come Dine with Us’ event last Friday, 3 November and this is what he has wrote and published:-
Last Friday evening I was at the Storehouse “Come dine with us” fundraising event. Storehouse is just one arm of an amazing local organisation that offers help to local residents that find themselves in need. Storehouse Foodbank itself is a project that aims to support families, couples, and individuals in short-term need of food and toiletries. The service began in 2006 in response to a growing need within our community and has grown in its scope and reach year by year since then.
The evening was an opportunity for those attending to sample the sort of fare that Storehouse regularly provide to those in need of hot food, a warm space and a supporting environment. We were treated (and I really do mean treated…. the food was really good) to a sausage and mash dinner followed by a fruit crumble. Storehouse not only (absolutely rightly) charged those invited for their meal, they also raised funds through a charity auction and raffle held on the night.
Jill Neighbour, who coordinates Storehouse’s activities, very passionately told us all about the work that she and her volunteer staff do. We also heard from a number of those volunteers themselves…. some of whom had really inspirational stories of their own journey from needing Storehouse’s help to finding stability in their own lives and giving back through now volunteering to help Storehouse help others still in need.
The unfortunate reality is that Storehouse have seen a depressing increase in the number of people in need of help in the town over the last few years and are constantly looking, not just for donations, but for new volunteers to help them continue to help those less fortunate than us.
Access to Storehouse is freely available to people referred by a supporting professional such as a teacher, social worker, doctor, key worker, minister, community adviser, Wiltshire Council, Citizens Advice Centre, or another agreed referral agency. Provisions can be collected from Storehouse’s centre based at Emmanuel’s Yard on Church Street where individuals, couples or families will be provided with three days' supply of food and toiletries.
Many blessings to you all.
Jill Neighbour