King’s Lynn church brings free essential shopping
Gaywood church in King’s Lynn is pioneering a scheme to provide essential bundles to those in the community who are unable to do their normal shopping. Rev Julie Boyd reports.
The scheme has been running for about a month now and the numbers of people benefitting is steadily growing.
We have been working in partnership with our local supermarkets: Aldi, Coop and Tesco who give us food and hygiene items. They have been extremely generous in their giving.
St Faith’s Church has a helpline that people can call to request an “essentials bundle”, which will contain items like bread, milk, fruit, veg, tinned products, cereal, rice, tea, coffee, juice and anything else that the supermarkets give to us, occasionally even loo rolls.
The people we are trying to help are those who are in vulnerable groups, and so need to be self-isolating. They are those who do not have anyone else to help them with their shopping.
We are not taking people’s shopping lists but we are asking questions about particular dietary needs and how many people live at the property. The parcels are delivered free of charge, so that there is no exchange of money taking place. The parcels are left on people’s doorsteps at the allotted hour; the distributor simply knocks on the door and then leaves.
We have a team of people who distribute the food including clergy, a number of church volunteers and also some of our local borough councillors. We make sure that we are observing social distancing by limiting the numbers of people preparing the bundles and having the distributors collect the bags of provisions at the door of our distribution centre.
A really important part of the service has been the telephone contact that we are having with people who have felt very cut off and alone. It is very moving hearing some of the stories of people’s complicated situations and how our project has been a lifeline.
St Faith’s church in Gaywood church is in Gaywood Road, King’s Lynn PE30 4DZ. You can reach the church office on 01553 774916 or [email protected]
Pictured above is Rev Canon Julie Boyd, Team Rector, Gaywood Benefice
Eldred Willey, 27/04/2020
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