Requests update...

We still need EVERYTHING that was on the last update (6th December), but we could also do with some pasta sauces too. Like last week, we are really very low on some things, especially tinned meat and veg. Please feel free to drop anything in at the Vineyard Centre over the coming week in particular, as there will be no Sunday celebration on December 30th and the Vineyard Centre will be closed from 24th of December and only re-opening in the New Year. We are still hoping to be able to give out food bags over that period, so any donations that you would have before then would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Requests update...

When we make up a food bag at Storehouse we like to put in enough appropriate items to make up meals for at least one or two days. As the cupboards are at the moment, we are going to struggle to do that because we are really low of certain things (in fact out of some). The things that we particularly need at the moment are:

• tinned meat
• tinned vegetables
• pot noodles and similar
• small cartons of long life milk
• tea bags
• toiletries, especially toothpaste
• anything that can be eaten without being cooked

Thank you

November stats

During November, Storehouse gave away 72 food bags via 11 different agencies plus some non agency donations. This has only been possible through the continued giving of everyone who supports Storehouse; this is what YOU have done. It's sometimes easy to think of these as just statistics, but in reality these are real people, real situations, real crises that people find themselves in, and every donation makes a difference. Your donations of food and toiletries through November has been amazing, especially when we have had some real shortages of certain items, so a huge THANK YOU and, as these figures demonstrate, every thing that you give truly does make a difference.

Urgent requests update

We are desperately short of the following items at the moment, and need them urgently so that we can include them in the next bags that we make up:

• tinned vegetables (eg carrots, peas etc... the sort you would have with a meal)
• instant mashed potato
• pot noodles & similar
• cereals, long life milk and sugar (small packets of all of these please)
• tea bags
• toothpaste
• shower gel
• deodorant

Please feel free to drop any items in at the Vineyard Centre if that is more convenient than bringing them to our Sunday celebrations. Thank you

Requests update and THANK YOU!!

Thank you for the fantastic response to our request for more food last week. It is amazing and humbling to see such a wonderful amount of food and toiletries come into the Vineyard Centre at a time when it is really needed. Please do keep bringing in any gifts that you are able to. At the moment we need in particular:

• tinned meat and meat products
• tinned vegetables
• instant mashed potato
• pot noodles and other similar packet meals
• small cereal packets
• sugar and long life milk
• toiletries

Thank you so much. It is only through the things that are given in, that Storehouse can continue to give out to those in need. (And please remember that we are collecting for Open Door at the moment too... see posting below).

Clothing Request

We have had a couple of requests come in for boys clothing; if you have any spare trousers or jumpers for a 6 year old boy, or any clothes for twin boys who will be 1 at Christmas, could you please either leave them with the Storehouse collection on Sunday or drop them in at the Vineyard Centre by next Wednesday. We have also had a request for a stairgate, if anyone has one that they no longer need. Thank you.

Open Door

If you were at our Sunday morning celebration you will have heard that we are supporting Open Door in Colchester by giving them food bags for the people who will be having a Christmas lunch and party with them on the 11th of December. We visited Open Door earlier in the year (see archive posting) and they do a great work in the heart of Colchester, offering a place for people to drop in, chat and find a listening and caring ear. Colchester Vineyard Church, a church plant from Southend, are joining with us in collecting for Open Door and it is great to be able to join together to help those in need in other communities. The people who meet at Open Door are from a variety of backgrounds, and it is estimated that around 15 of the 75 people that will be there, will be homeless and living rough. If you are able to spare a little extra food and toiletries over the next few weeks it will really make a difference in the lives of all these people and will demonstrate that God's love knows no boundaries, least of all county ones!

Christmas Presents

In case you hadn’t noticed, Christmas is approaching and again this year we would like to brighten up the Christmas experience for some of the children in our community who otherwise might not have as enjoyable time as most of us would hope. The Bury Family Centre has provided a list of children’s names, ages and ideal gifts and if you would like to buy any of these then please speak to Margret Zeidler on any Sunday between now and the 12th December. The format will be the same as in previous years: we would ask that you put your name down against the child that you would like to buy for and then take the gift tag, which will have all the details on, and purchase that gift to no more than the value of £10. Please DO NOT wrap the present, but return it, together with the label, to either the Vineyard Centre, or to a Sunday celebration before December 12th. If you have any questions please speak to Margret. Thank you

Requests update

Thank you so much for your donations of food and toiletries over the last week. At the moment we would appreciate in particular the following items:

• ANY food that can be eaten without heating
• tinned meat
• tinned vegetables (but we have plenty of tinned tomatoes at the moment)
• pasta sauces
• pot noodles
• cereals, sugar (small packets of either)
• shower gel, deodorants, shampoo

Each item does make a difference, and to illustrate this, below is the text of a letter received at the Vineyard Centre recently from Suffolk Constabulary Victim Care Centre:

Dear Sir/madam

Just a short note of thanks for the food bag collected from you on 31st October '07.

Sadly, many of the domestic violence victims that we come into contact with at the Victim Care Centre are in a desperate situation.

The recipient of your generous gift has struggled to cope financially for a considerable time and I know this gift will be welcome.

It is comforting to know that the members of your church are willing to show such humanity and compassion to a stranger.

Thank you for all of your donations. They truly do make a difference, no matter how small, and they show God's love in action in perhaps more ways than we realise.

Requests plea(se)

October was the busiest month (see stats below) Storehouse has known so far, and in the first week of November nearly 30 food bags left the Vineyard Centre to needy people in and around Bury St Edmunds. Although we have received a lot of food during the last couple of months, we are still particularly short of the following items:

• Tinned meat
• Tinned mixed veg
• Instant mashed potato
• Pasta sauces
• Cereals (small packets or variety packs please)
• Sugar and long life milk
• Toothpaste, deodorants and shampoo

Please pray about what you might give to Storehouse. Without some of the items above, we will not be able to make up a food bag for a day's meals, or maybe not provide any toiletries. As this ministry continues to grow it is a practical way in which we can demonstrate to others what our love for Jesus means; that we will look with compassion, as He did, on those in need in our community and that we will reach out to them without judging, but with love and an open heart.

Requests update...

Although we have received a lot of food recently, there are some items that we are running low on. The things that we particularly need at the moment are:

• any food that can be eaten without heating or hot water;
• tinned meat and meat products;
• pasta sauces;
• long life milk (smaller cartons are really useful);
• small bags of sugar;
• toothpaste;
• deodorant;
• shampoo.

On a completely different matter, we have had a very general request for a family who have recently moved to Bury and who have nothing. The Family Centre is trying to sort out grant funding etc, but in the meantime if anyone has any cutlery, crockery, etc or good quality bedding could they please contact Jonathan & Julia or the Vineyard Centre and let us know what you have. We will then try and liaise with the Family Centre to see what is still needed. Thank you.

October stats

During October, Storehouse has received 68 requests for food bags via 12 different agencies plus non agency requests. This has resulted in 93 bags being given away to people in need in our community. During the last couple of months we have received a lot of food from local schools and churches following their harvest celebrations, and it is amazing to see so much of it going out so soon to where it is really needed. Thank you to everyone who continues to give food to Storehouse; these stats show that the need is as great as ever and your donations of food are always most welcome and continue to make a real difference in the lives of real people. And remember, even one or two cans can make a difference. Thank you.

Requests update

Although we have had a large amount of food and toiletries come in, there are still some items that we are running low on:

• instant mashed potato;
• small packets of cereal;
• small cartons of long life milk;
• small bags of sugar;
• toothpaste;
• deodorant;
• shampoo.

Please do keep an eye on the blog, or the Storehouse notice board for updates, and please feel free to pray about what you might give to Storehouse; there could be things that someone will need that we haven't even thought of! Thank you.

Harvest Time

At this time of year, as local schools and churches celebrate harvest, it is wonderful that some of them choose to donate their non perishable harvest items to Storehouse. Sometimes we have the privelege of visiting schools in particular, and sharing with them at their harvest assembly or celebration a little about Storehouse, what we do, why we do it, and perhaps to give some examples of how we help and the kind of situations where we hope we make a difference. This year we have had a wonderful inflow of food and toiletries from schools and churches in and around Bury. In addition to the earlier posting we have received food from Lawshall Primary School, St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Pre-School, All Saints Church Hartest, St Mary's & St Peter's Church, Little Fishes mother & toddler group and Sextons Manor Primary School(3). We have also taken part in assemblies and celebrations at Beyton Middle School(1), Barnham Primary School(4) and Hartest Church(2) with the primary school there. Without exception, these schools and churches are glad to be helping Storehouse in meeting the real needs of real people in their own community. We are truly grateful for their generosity and for being so willing to be involved in this ministry. Thank you very much.

(Bracketed numbers refer to photo, starting top left and going clockwise)

The Running Man

You may remember from the posting of 8th August, that Colin Younge was due to run the Felixstowe half marathon on 30th September and raise money for Storehouse via sponsorship. You won't have seen Colin around church lately as he he is now at Southampton University, but before he went there on 1st October he ran the half marathon and completed the race in a time of 2 hours and 35 minutes. Not only that, but he also managed to raise £545 for Storehouse for which we are hugely grateful. The money really will help West Suffolk Vineyard Church's compassion ministry to continue to help needy people in and around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk, and to try to help them meet their needs in a real and practical way. Fantastic job Colin, well done and a BIG thank you.

September stats

During September West Suffolk Vineyard Church received 44 requests for food bags from 11 different agencies plus some non agency requests. This resulted in a total of 53 bags being given away through the Storehouse ministry. Although Bury St Edmunds might not give the impression of being a poor town, there are still plenty of needy people in our community and it is great, as a church, to be able to help meet some of those needs through Storehouse. Thank you.

Still here!

Sorry it's been a while since anything was posted here, but it's getting to be a busy time of year. As I said in my previous posting, 19th and 20th of September was the Freshers Event at West Suffolk College. While the college chief and RAF might have managed to get the event into the papers, Storehouse was there as well collecting food, and even giving some out too. It was a great opportunity to maintain our links with the college staff that we know already, but also to increase the awareness of what we do amongst the students and other exhibitors alike. So thank you West Suffolk College for once again giving us this opportunity, and thank you Ted and Margy for doing such a great job representing Storehouse and West Suffolk Vineyard Church.

On Tuesday 25th I had the pleasure of joining with some folk at Ingham Church (left) for one of their regular coffee mornings and at the same time collect the produce collected at their harvest festival the previous Sunday. It was good to be able to thank them, and to share with them a little about what Storehouse aims to do.

In the same week West Road Church delivered the items collected at their harvest services, also held on the same Sunday. It's great to be joined in this ministry by other churches and organisations, and together reach out to those in our community who are in need, and to be able to help them in a real and practical way. We are truly grateful to all those people at Ingham and West Road Church who donated items so generously - they really will make a difference. Thank you!

New Term

Next week Storehouse will be represented at West Suffolk College freshers event, run over the Wednesday and Thursday from 10 – 2. Please pray that this will be a positive event for those representing Storehouse and WSVC and for the staff and students with whom they come into contact.
Last year several local schools and churches kindly donated the non-perishable items collected at their harvest festivals to Storehouse. If your school is having a harvest assembly this autumn and would like to donate its non-perishable food to Storehouse we will happily provide them with information about what we do and collect any food that they would like to give us. We might also be able to give a short talk at their assembly about Storehouse if we are able to arrange that. If your school would be interested please get them to contact the Vineyard Centre. Thank you.

Requests update

As you, through Storehouse, continue to give away food and toiletries to those in need around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk, so the need to have the donations that you bring to Church and the Vineyard Centre replaced continues. At the moment the items that we are running low on are:

• ANY food that can be eaten without heating
• Tinned meat etc
• Tinned vegetables of any kind
• Pasta, rice, instant mash etc
• Tinned fruit and other desserts
• Small bags of sugar and small cartons of long life milk
• Small boxes of cereals, or larger packets that can be split hygienically
• Toiletries of any kind

Thank you

No cooking facilities

We've had someone come to us who has had to sell their cooker and washing machine in order to sort out financial issues. If anyone has or knows of a good condition electric cooker, microwave or washing machine that would be available then please contact Jonathan, or Geoff & Maggie (Helping Hands). Thank you.

August stats and requests update

During August Storehouse received 36 requests for food bags resulting in 45 food bags being given away through 9 local agencies plus some non-agency requests. Please keep your donations of food and toiletries coming in - we are so grateful for every single item. Even if it is only one or two cans, it can soon add up and does make a real difference. In particular at the moment we are in need of cereals, long life milk, sugar, pasta, rice, instant mashed potato and any kind of toiletries. Thank you.

God of Justice

Tim Hughes' latest Album, "Holding Nothing Back" has a great track (no. 7) entitled God of Justice, where Tim sings passionately about following the example of Jesus in serving the poor, the needy and the broken. Here's Tim's story behind the song:
God Of Justice
In June 2005, my wife Rachel and I headed off to Tanzania, to spend a week working with Tearfund, a charity based in England. Whilst there we met an amazing lady called Joyce. We visited her home in Uhambingeto, met with her family and heard her story. With no clean accessible water in the village, leaving each night at midnight with an empty container, Joyce would walk for over ten hours until she returned home at around 10am the following morning exhausted. It has been estimated that Joyce has walked the equivalent of three times around the world in the pursuit of water. The injustice of this is overwhelming. . How could that still be possible in a world today where so many of us have so much?
When I read the bible, one thing seems abundantly clear; God is passionate about the poor. Jesus made it so clear … “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor (Luke 4:18) In Amos 5, God’s heart burns with anger as He rebukes a people who offer up songs of worship and other choice offerings, but trample and deprive the poor for their own selfish gain. We can’t escape the truth – God’s heart breaks for the last, the least and the lost. If I want to glorify God in all that I do, then issues of justice and the poor need to be at the core of who I am.
The Church needs to be singing about God’s heart for the poor. We need to remind ourselves that as God’s people we need to go and serve the marginalised. All of this inspired the song. It’s a worship song. It’s a justice song.
This echoes why care for the poor is a prominent part of what we, as a church, do, and it's something that we can all take part in, even in small ways here in Bury St Edmunds. There is a great review of the album on the St Andrews Bookshop website where Tim has also written the stories behind some of the other songs, so please check out the album - it should also be available on the CD desk at church. We've sung quite a few of the songs at church over the last few months and I'm sure you'll enjoy the whole album. If you would like a preview then click here for a link to MP3 samples of each track, or view this particular one on a Tearfund video at Youtube.

Requests update...

In the last week Storehouse has given out around 15 food bags, and now the cupboards are looking quite bare. We therefore desperately need any in-date, non-perishable food or toiletries that you are able to give to us. If it's helpful, here's a list:

• tinned meat and fish etc
• tinned vegetables, tomatoes, baked beans etc
• instant mashed potato
• pasta, rice and pasta sauces
• tinned fruit and other non-perishable desserts
• long-life milk, small bags of sugar
• all sorts of toiletries

Thank you

New Arrival

Back in May, we posted a request for various items of baby equipment for an expectant mum. Through your kindness and generosity, we were able to provide various baby toys, clothes, a Moses basket, a brand new cot and some other items. You will be pleased to hear that the mum gave birth to a healthy 6lb 9oz baby boy on Saturday 11th August, and both of them are doing well. We'll update this post as soon as we know the name!

Sponsored half marathon

On 30th September, Colin Younge (from West Suffolk Vineyard Church) will be taking part in the Felixstowe Half Marathon and in doing so is looking to raise money for Storehouse. We really appreciate this from Colin and if you would like to sponsor him please speak to him when you next see him or, if you can't get to speak to him, please feel free to drop any donations (clearly marked for Colin's sponsored run) in at the Vineyard Centre or to anyone on the Storehouse Team. Colin will be going away on 1st September and leaves for University the day after the race, so you will need to catch him while you have the chance. Thank you so much Colin.

Stats/requests update

In July we received 38 food bag requests, resulting in 50 bags of food being given away via 9 different agencies plus non agency requests. We have received quite a few requests for for food bags for people with no cooking facilities. This might be because the person is homeless, but we also had at least one request for someone who had no electricity. We are limited in the kind of food that we can give to people who have no access to cooking facilities, so we always welcome tins/packets of food that can be eaten without heating. At the moment we are also short of the following:

• Tinned mixed veg, tomatoes and baked beans;
• Instant mash;
• Pasta sauce;
• Small bags of sugar;
• Toothpaste & brushes, deodorants, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner.

Thank you for all your donations; week in and week out they continue to make a difference.

Requests update

I know that I haven't updated the blog lately with details of what we need. This is not because I have forgotten, but it is because the needs have been the same as the last request posted on 4th July. We still do need just about anything and everything, although at the moment we are doing well for dried pasta on its own. With this exception, please feel free to give any of the other items on the 4th July posting, including other pasta meals, pot noodles etc. I would add that we recently received a request for a food bag for someone with no cooking facilities and no access to boiled water. It was quite difficult to put together a bag of food for him, so please bear in mind that sometimes we do receive requests for the kind of food that requires no heating and no tin opener. Thank you very much

Lesley's sponsored walk - testimony

As many of you will know, Lesley Cook undertook a sponsored walk in May to raise some money for Storehouse. Here is Lesley's own account of how she got on:
"I remember some months ago sitting in church and the offering buckets were being handed round and yet again I had no money to put in the bucket. I felt really bad because Vineyard has helped my family and me many times in many ways including financially. I kept trying to think of ways that I could give help. I wanted to be able to give more to Storehouse because I think it is a very worthwhile cause. I can’t imagine what it must be like to not know where your next meal is coming from or where you are going to sleep each night. I often complain because I can’t afford something I want, as we all do sometimes, but at least I have a roof over my head and something to eat and a loving family.
I decided that I would do a sponsored walk to try and raise some money for Storehouse. I knew it had to be a long walk to encourage people to give money. I also wanted to raise as much as possible from people who didn’t go to church and make more people aware of Storehouse and the need for help in our community. So I decided I would walk from my home I Mildenhall to church and after the service I would walk home again.
I set the date for Sunday 27th May, which was a bank holiday weekend, so I would have the Monday off work to rest. I began to try to raise sponsorship money, but to start with at work I met with a bit of hostility. As soon as I mentioned the word “church” my work colleagues didn’t want to know. Then I tried to explain that it was for people in the community that were in need of help, like people that are homeless. Then my colleagues said, “Well it’s probably their own fault that they’re homeless, they’re all druggies”. I said that our belief is that whether these people are good or bad it doesn’t matter at this moment they need something to eat. If we found someone who was in need of medical help would we check first to see if they were good enough to deserve medical help? Well it’s just as important to eat!
I had lots of help from my friends at WSVC and my family in raising sponsorships.
On Sunday 27th May I started the walk at 5:20am. I was expecting it to take approx 4 hours. I got to church at 9:10am and I was very wet because it had been raining, so I changed my clothes had a coffee and a donut. I left church to begin the walk home at 12:30pm, armed with another donut for energy. At this point I was not sure that I would complete the walk because I was already aching quite a lot, but I didn’t want to give up and I knew Jesus was with me every step of the way. My friend Trisha and my daughter Kirsty sent me some text messages to give me lots of encouragement, which I really needed. My husband Paul kept driving by and giving me drinks and at 4:30pm I finished walking. I ached a bit and was tired for a couple of days.
It took me a few weeks to collect all the sponsor money, but when I had collected it all and began to count it up I couldn’t believe how much was there, so I had to count it again, then I got Paul to count it up too. There was £705.00!!!! I am really grateful to everyone who donated money and I hope it will help to make a difference in some people’s lives."
A huge thank you and well done to Lesley for her walk, the money she raised (it has already started making a difference), and for sharing her experience here. Truly inspirational!

Urgent requests update

For the last two weeks we have had to go out to buy food for Storehouse to give away, as we have had a large number of requests come in. Even so, we are still really short of most things apart from baked beans and soups. By way of a list, we are in urgent need of the following:

• tinned meat and fish
• tinned vegetables
• instant mashed potato
• tinned fruit and other desserts
• pasta, rice, dry pasta meals, pot noodles etc
• pasta sauces
• cereals
• tea, coffee, sugar
• long life milk
• all sorts of toiletries

Please note, that because of Re:Fresh there will be NO church this weekend, either on Sunday morning or evening, so please feel free to drop any donations of food or toiletries in at the Vineyard Centre during the week between 09:00 and 13:00. Thank you.

June stats

A very busy June saw 78 food bags leave the Vineyard Centre to 11 different agencies plus some non agency requests. This has been by far and away the most bags we have ever given away in a single month, and already in July we have given away a further 11 bags! Up to the end of June we have given away 295 food bags, compared with 179 by the same time last year. It is both exciting and challenging to see this ministry grow, as it reaches out to more and more people in our community.

URGENT Requests update plea(se)

Another busy week has seen nearly 20 bags leave the Vineyard Centre to various agencies and needy people in and around West Suffolk. Already so far this month we have given away as many bags as we did in the whole of June last year. As a result we are running low of just about everything apart from tinned soup and baked beans. So we are in urgent need of the following:

• tinned meat and fish
• tinned vegetables
• instant mashed potato
• tinned fruit and other desserts
• pasta, rice, dry pasta meals, pot noodles etc
• pasta sauces
• cereals
• tea, coffee, sugar
• long life milk
• all sorts of toiletries

As you can see from the picture, the cupboards really are quite bare, so any donations will be most welcome. And remember, one or two cans really can make a difference. Thank you.

Requests update...

In the last week alone we have given out 18 food bags, which meant that this morning there were no food bags left in the cupboards. Once the donations from Sunday had been unpacked, and new food bags made up, the shelves were looking fairly depleted again. In fact we are running really low on just about everything apart from tinned fruit, fish, baked beans and soup. If you would like specifics of what we need, here’s a list:

• pasta and rice;
• pasta sauces etc;
• tinned meats;
• tinned mixed vegetables;
• tea, milk and sugar;
• cereals;
• all toiletries.

Please feel free to leave any donations at the Vineyard Centre, as well as at our Sunday celebrations. Thank you.

Requests update

Last June (2006), we received 42 requests for food bags, resulting in 49 food bags being given away. 31 of these requests were from Connexions, who offer advice and support for 13 - 19 year olds. This is the month when many young people will leave school and often it is now that they have to start fending for themselves, some with little or no family support. All of your donations of food and toiletries will be most welcome, but in particular we are running low on the following items:

• cereals
• dry pasta, rice and pasta sauces
• tinned meat
• tinned mixed vegetables
• instant mashed potato
• tea, coffee and sugar
• all kinds of toiletries

May stats

In May, we received 39 requests for food bags which resulted in us giving away 48 food bags via 11 agencies plus non agency requests. It is wonderful how the food and toiletries continue to come in to replace all that has been given away.

1 + 1 = 1,500

First 1. Rachel Orriss was wondering how she might be able to raise £250 so that the Family Centre could hire a coach to take some needy children to the seaside for the day in the summer. She emailed the Vineyard Centre to see if there was anything we could do as a church…….

Second 1. Sheila Kendrick works in the finance department at Greene King and every year the staff raise a whole hatful of money for local charities. Someone asked her if she knew of any worthy local causes, and she suggested that they contact the Vineyard Centre…..

These two came in at the same time, and the result was a staggering £1,500 for the Bury Family Centre, enabling them to have two coach trips to the seaside and pay for ice creams for all the children, as well as having various activities and special events laid on at the Family Centre in Bury St Edmunds. For children who might not otherwise have the chance to get to the seaside this summer, these trips will be a really welcome treat. And the ongoing support and workshops etc that the rest of the money will provide will be really valuable. A huge thank you goes to all the staff at Greene King, and to the company too, who doubled up what the staff had raised. In total, £16,000 was given out to a number of local charities, of which the Family Centre was just one, and the more eagle-eyed amongst you might have spotted a report of this in the Bury Free Press on 1st June. You might also have seen an article recently in the Mercury and the East Anglian Daily Times highlighting the number of children living in deprivation in and around Bury St Edmunds. It’s great that when a report like this comes out we can see something positive being done in the community to help those in need. And it's great too to see how God really can make amazing things happen.

Don't forget...

... this Sunday (27th May), Lesley Cook is going to be walking from Mildenhall to Church and back, in order to raise money and/or food for Storehouse. For further details see the posting below from 9th May, but please remember Lesley, and let's support her as she steps out for Storehouse.

Requests update

As requests for food bags keep coming in, so we need to meet those needs. Items we are short of at the moment are:

• cereals
• mixed veg
• tinned meat
• instant mash
• toiletries

We are giving away around ten bags a week at the moment, so everything helps; two cans really can make a difference.

Requests

We are running low on the following items and would appreciate these in particular:

· Tinned meat
· Tinned mixed vegetables
· Tea bags
· Sugar (small bags)
· Long-life milk (pint sized)
· Cereals
· Instant mashed potato
· Pot noodles etc

Thank you

Storehouse Team

St Matthew Housing

Last Thursday the four of us had the opportunity to visit St Matthew Housing here in Bury St Edmunds. SMH have four properties in Bury, in Springfield Road, Grove Road and Northgate Street and provide supported housing to single people of all ages. Many of these are young people and might only be for a couple of years, but they also provide longer term housing to those for whom living alone in the community is not a realistic viable option. It is always good to meet with some of those agencies in our community that we seek to help, and to gain a greater understanding of what they do and how we can best help them and those with whom they work.

Trent Vineyard Arches Project

On 3rd May the four of us, and Helen Mathers, visited The Arches in Nottingham. The Arches is run from some converted railway arches by Trent Vineyard and is just part of their compassion ministry. Here they offer tea and coffee, someone to talk to, a chance to take a shower, free food, clothing and furniture aswell as a mums and toddlers group and a weekly small group. Although Nottingham is a city and is therefore much larger than Bury St Edmunds, it was both encouraging and exciting to see how they help the needy and disadvantaged in Nottingham: it was encouraging to see how we are already doing some of the things here in Bury and exciting to see some things that we hope to be able to do in the future. Please have a look at their website.

Food needs

In case any of you would like to give to Storehouse, but are unsure what exactly to buy, at the moment we are running low on long-life milk, sugar, tea bags, biscuits and deodorants. With the milk and sugar, small packets work really well, as we can put these in a bag and still leave room for plenty of other items too.

These feet were made for walking...

In case you missed the notices at Kinship and our Sunday morning celebration, you might not be aware of something that is afoot. Lesley Cook is going to be doing a sponsored walk to raise money for Storehouse. On the last Sunday of May, Lesley is going to be leaving her home in Mildenhall at about 5 o’clock in the morning and walking about 15 miles to Church. After the celebration she is then going to be walking back home, a round trip of around 30 miles. Sponsor forms are available from church, and if you are unable to sponsor Lesley financially, she will happily accept tins etc for Storehouse instead.

Lesley has also started selling second hand books at £1 each, with the proceeds again going to Storehouse. If you have any good quality second hand books that you can give to Lesley she will be happy to take them. Alternatively have a look at her books and see if you would like to buy any.

Thank you very much Lesley.

Cot Requests

We have had a couple of requests for cots recently. One request from the Family Centre is just for a cot, as they have funds for the mattress and bedding. The other request is from St Matthew Housing who need EVERYTHING for a new baby. The mum-to-be has nothing for the baby, due in 6-8 weeks, so will need cot, mattress (we have some bedding), bath equipment, toys, pram etc. If you can help with any of the above please contact either Jonathan & Julia or the Vineyard Centre.

April Stats

In April, we received 39 requests for food bags which resulted in us giving away 47 food bags via 11 agencies plus non agency requests. It has been wonderful how the food and toiletries have kept coming in to replace all that has been given away.

Citizens Advice Bureau

The CAB recently invited us to attend one of their monthly staff meetings so that we could explain to the staff and volunteers there, what Storehouse does. Roy and Julia visited them on Thursday 26th April and on their behalf Roy writes: "A couple of us from WSVC Storehouse Ministry went to the CAB to explain what we do and to show what is in a food bag for a single person. We also told them where the food for the bags comes from and explained that we work closely with most of the charities and agency groups around Bury.

We also spoke a little on Helping Hands and what they can do - we hope to provide for those in need and those not well off.

It was very exciting for us to let CAB know how we run and to have them on board with the other agencies. We feel it went very well and the CAB can call us if ever they needed help for the people they have contact with. It is all about looking after one another with the help and grace of God."

Open Door

On Thursday the four of us visited Open Door at Colchester. Running from the premises of Colchester Baptist Church, Open Door is a daily drop-in centre, open from 10-2 Monday to Friday (apart from Thursday). As well as offering food and drink at a nominal charge, the centre also seeks to provide a place where poor and marginalised people can find a welcome and a listening ear in a safe and controlled place. Over the last year the average number of daily visitors has been around 50-70 persons per day, with needs varying from unemployment, loneliness and relationship breakdown to homelessness, drug and other addictions and mental illness etc. At least 4 people serve in varying capacities each day, and qualified counsellors are available when required.
It was wonderful to meet Jimmy, one of the volunteers, and to hear the miraculous story of what God had done in his life: healing him of hepatitis B and C and delivering him from a 35 year hard drug habit, without a day of cold turkey. But the miracle lives on in his life as he wants to share what God has done for him with others. It was great too, to see how the marginalised and those on the edge of society had found a place where they felt welcome and at home, but with sensible rules and guidelines in place. This was not just a jolly day out for the four of us though… we saw it as a fact finding opportunity for us to learn how other people currently do what we would love to see here in Bury St Edmunds.

Amazing!

We had an amazing afternoon at Storehouse today. We had previously arranged with Gemma from West Suffolk College to meet her and the E2E students at the Vineyard Centre at around quarter past one, so that they could bring us all their shopping, and help pack it away. This was what they had bought with the money they raised at the college a month or so back (see earlier post). Before they arrived we looked in the cupboards and we were running really low on tinned vegetables and fruit, and in the last 3 days alone around 10 food bags had gone out, leaving just one family bag (double) and one single bag of food in the cupboard – there was not enough to make up another single bag.

At about one o’clock a lady phoned the Vineyard Centre and asked if it would be OK to drop off some food and just as the students were turning up, she and a friend also arrived and unloaded bags and boxes of food for Storehouse. The students then unloaded Gemma’s car and brought their shopping upstairs and for about the next half an hour they helped Margaret and Roy to restock the cupboards. It was amazing to see all this provision of food come in just when we needed it, and just after Storehouse had given so much away. It was great too to hear how the students had enjoyed doing what they had done, and how they were pleased to be able to help other people. So a big thank you to all these people, and a huge thank you to God, who demonstrated how he provides for us just when we need it.

Requests update...

April started quite quietly as far as food bag requests go, but in the last week alone we have seen over 15 bags go out to people in need. At the moment we are running particularly short of the following items;

• toiletries


• long-life milk


• sugar


• instant mash.

As far as the milk and sugar are concerned, smaller boxes and bags are really good, as it means we can put more items in a single bag. Thank you.

Sunday Evenings

If you were at Sunday at Six this sunday just gone, you will have heard Margaret giving details of how we will have a collection point for food and toiletries there. We will still have our usual collecting bucket on Sunday mornings, and you can also drop items in at the Vineyard Centre in the morning, Monday to Friday. Details of all these places can be found on the main WSVC website (see other links).

Requests

As we continue to provide food and toiletries for people in and around Bury St Edmunds, we inevitably run short of some things from time to time. At the moment we are particularly short of

• toothbrushes and toothpaste


• deodorants


• instant mashed potato


• mixed vegetable tins

March Stats

In March, Storehouse received 33 requests from 10 locally based agencies. This resulted in us giving away 40 food bags to people in need in our community. We can only do this through the involvement in this minstry of everyone who donates food and toiletries. Thank you.

Supported Housing

Acorn House in Bury St Edmunds recently invited us to attend an open morning they were holding. Acorn House is run by the Riverside Group (formerly English Churches Housing Group) and offers supported housing for single mothers. It was great to be able to meet some of the staff and tenants, and to learn about what Acorn House does, as we have been able to help them with the occasional food bag in the past. We followed this up on 29th March when the four of us visited Cangle Junction Foyer in Haverhill. Also run by the Riverside Group, The Cangle provides supported housing for young people aged 16 – 25, whilst their associated property, Coupals Court offers supported housing for single mothers. This is taken from their website: “The Cangle, as well as providing supported accommodation, aims to enable disadvantaged 16-25 year old young people to achieve self-reliance and independence, to bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood. We have two broad objectives, firstly to equip residents with the skills necessary to live independently and secondly, to become economically active in order to sustain their independence.” We hope that we might be able to help them in the future, in the event that any of their tenants are in need. A big thank you to all of the staff who were so helpful, and made us feel very welcome (and the food was exceptionally lovely!).

As Jesus Walked

Julia and I recently bought (actually, it was a birthday present from a good friend) Martyn Layzell’s latest album called Turn My Face. It has some great tracks on, but we call the last one our Storehouse Song. Martyn has very kindly given us his permission to copy the lyrics out below:

As Jesus Walked by Martyn Layzell

We have heard the call to go

Into the world with seed to sow
With living words within our hearts

We will walk as Jesus walked

Live a life of sacrifice

And die to our human desires

To see the poor and not pass by

Is to walk as Jesus walked

Help us walk as Jesus walked

But if not now then when will we

Take up our cross and follow?

And if not us then who will go

And walk as Jesus walked?

Be good news in all we do

Bind up the broken hearted

Heal the sick and raise the dead

Is to walk as Jesus walked

Help us walk as Jesus walked

With passion for the lost

Compassion for the poor

To every corner of this world

We’ll walk as You have walked

A Father to the fatherless

You’re Father to them all

Martyn Layzell

Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

We feel that it echoes what we want to do through the Storehouse Ministry, but also challenges us in every walk of life to “walk as Jesus walked.” Please look at Martyn’s website at http://www.martynlayzell.com/ and check out some of the other tracks from the album at his myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=93136292
If you would like the album please ask at the CD desk

Food requests (update)

By way of update, we are still short of the following items:

• tinned vegetables (other than baked beans)
• Packets of instant mashed potato
• Rice
• Sugar (small bags are best)
• Long-life milk (pint size preferred)
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo

Thank you

Request for a Tumble Dryer

We have had a request from one of the agencies for a tumble dryer, preferably a condenser type model. If anyone has or knows of a good quality tumble dryer in working order could you please telephone the Church Office on 01284 765874 or contact Geoff and Maggie Sammons (Helping Hands) who are now dealing with this request. Thank you.

Food requests

We need a steady supply of food in order to meet all of the requests that we receive. At the moment, we are particularly short of the following:

• Tinned meat and meat products;


• Tinned vegetables;


• Instant mash;


• Packets of rice;


• Cereals;


• Long-life milk;


• Sugar.

Wherever possible we prefer to be able to put lots of smaller packets in a bag, rather than fill a bag with just one or two large items. So it's great if we have single pints of long life milk, small bags of sugar, and cereal multi-packs or boxes which have sealed items inside them, like Weetabix or Shredded Wheat which we can split up without unsealing them. In this way we can then make sure that we provide as wide a range of items as possible in a bag.

Stats

In January of this year we received a total of 34 food requests, while in February the total was 26. These figures included 22 requests for food for families, when we give away two bags at a time, so that in January and February we gave out over 80 carrier bags full of food and toiletries to people in need around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. So far this year, requests have come in from 11 different agencies, as well as other non-agency requests. We can only keep providing in this way with the kind support and food donations we receive, which come mainly through people at West Suffolk Vineyard Church, but also from other organisations with whom we have links. These include West Suffolk College (see posting below), West Road Church, and, in the past, various local schools and churches as part of their harvest thanksgiving. Thank you.

Gabriel & the Vagabond

Here’s a link to a couple of great songs by a guy called Foy Vance, who is part of Greenwich Vineyard Church. The songs, Gabriel & the Vagabond, and Indiscriminate Act of Kindness, reflect something of what we want to be able to do through Storehouse. We want to reach out to those in need, to give them hope, to show them kindness, and to help them onto their feet, whatever their situation. If you like the CD, it can be ordered via the CD desk at church, or you can buy it direct from Amazon. The CD comes with the video animation track on too. Enjoy.
Gabriel & the Vagabond http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cjCuUQUwI
Indiscriminate Act of Kindness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL8A-b9XZaI

West Suffolk College, thanks!

On Friday 9th March, we were invited along to West Suffolk College, where some of the E2E students had a display outside the diner, and were collecting for Storehouse. This was the culmination of 6 weeks of work by them, during which time they had been raising the profile of Storehouse, making posters and collecting items at various points around the college. For anyone who had forgotten to bring in any food or toiletries, on Friday only, the students were collecting money, which they will be using to buy items needed by Storehouse (we have since discovered that they raised £100!!!!). We would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone at West Suffolk College for the fantastic amount of food they collected, and a special thanks to Gemma and Maria and the E2E students involved – Luke, Jesse, Dan, Matthew, Lisa, Becky, Lee, Michelle, Lewis, Kayleigh, Sam, Aimee, Brendan and Carl.