Storehouse Updates

November saw a total of 133 bags of food and toiletries being distributed, following requests from 15 different agencies and 4 non-agency requests. This was the largest monthly figure during this year. With the recent exceptionally cold weather has come an increase in the demand for urgent food supplies. The generosity of many has enabled us to meet this increase. However, we would really value ongoing support by those attending West Suffolk Vineyard Church and any other people who may want to get involved with this vital ministry to the poor and needy in West Suffolk. We are currently running short on the following essential items:

· Tinned meat & meaty meals (e.g. ravioli/stew)

· Tinned vegetables (not baked beans)

· Potatoes

· UHT milk

· Cereals

· Desserts, tinned fruit etc

From January we are increasing the size of the Storehouse Team that packs the bags . We plan to have teams of two people each weekday morning who are able to do this. We are hoping that as well as providing food bags to clients as they call at the office that they may want to stop and have a drink and a chat also. By showing an interest in them in this way the team is demonstrating the love of Jesus. We have also set up a team of people that can be contacted to provide food at short notice when food supplies are running low.

As a church we have been able to buy 46 Christmas presents for children at the Bury Family Centre. These have been very much appreciated by the children and their families. Thank you to all those who have bought a gift.

As the New Year approaches we are looking forward to what God wants to do through the Storehouse ministry.

Thank you for your support and encouragement as we work together in sharing God’s love to others in this very practical way.

Happy Christmas,

Andrew & Mary Soman

Storehouse News & Updates

We would like to introduce ourselves as the new Storehouse Co-ordinators. Firstly a big thank you to Jonathan Coe who with the help of Margie Wright have co-ordinated the work of Storehouse over the last few years. Their leadership has been very much appreciated and the work of Storehouse has developed and grown due to their commitment and enthusiasm.

Mary and I have worshipped at West Suffolk Vineyard Church for over 2 and a half years and have been involved in other ministries within the church during that time. We are very much looking forward to developing the work of Storehouse and encouraging more people to be involved. We believe this practical ministry to be a vital part of the vision of the church-to show God’s love to the poor and needy in West Suffolk. As Jesus said in Matthew chapter 25 verse 40 “ I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” Involvement can be helping pack bags in the office for a couple of hours one morning or providing food at short notice when stocks are running low. If you would like to know more please contact the Vineyard Centre.

We would like to say a big thank you to the many churches, schools and other organisations who have recently donated food, especially from their Harvest Services. This really has been appreciated, and resulted in the food cupboards being full. As winter approaches the need for food and toiletries will remain high, so any help towards the work of Storehouse would be much appreciated.

Although not quite as high as September we still gave out 77 bags of food and toiletries during October, resulting from requests from 14 different local agencies and 1 non-agency request.

As in previous years during the next few weeks members of the church will be given the opportunity to buy Christmas presents for children at the Bury Family Centre. It is a real privilege to be able to bring joy to these children at this special time of year.

Thank you for your encouragement and ongoing support given to extending God’s Kingdom through the Storehouse ministry.

Andrew & Mary Soman

September busy-ness

Yes, another busy time for Storehouse in September; during the month we received 81 requests resulting in 93 bags of food and toiletries being given away via 14 different local agencies plus some non-agency requests. These requests come in for single people and also for families, in all sorts of circumstances and situations. It is wonderful that together we are all able to help these people who, for whatever reason, find themselves in real difficulty. Each bag is given away as a gift, a token of God's love and concern for the poor and marginalised, and it is great that each and every can and packet that we give to Storehouse shares in that. Each request comes from a real story, involving real people and each bag makes a real difference. If you were at Church on Sunday, you might have heard Louise share some of the contents of a thank you letter from Connexions. If you heard that, you will also realise that each gift we make also makes a difference to the staff at the various agencies with whom we work. Thank you for each and every item that you give, and for the difference that you make as you share God's love through Storehouse.

August stats, and requests update

August saw the second busiest month on record for Storehouse, with 94 requests from 14 different local agencies plus some non-agency requests, resulting in 114 bags being given away to people in need in Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. Each of these bags will have made a real difference to the person or family who received it, so a BIG thank you to everyone who has continued to donate food and toiletries throughout the month, and a BIG thank you to everyone who has helped make up the food bags ready to give out. (If you would like to spend just two or three hours one morning a week helping to make up some food bags, and meeting people who arrive to collect them, please contact the Vineyard Centre).

As a result of all these bags going out, we have run out of just about everything we need to put into a food bag. As of today, apart from one tin of sweetcorn, one bag of teabags and one packet of spaghetti, we had none of the following essential items:

• tinned meat and meaty meals (e.g. ravioli etc)
• tinned vegetables
• instant mash/tinned potatoes
• desserts, tinned fruit etc
• cereals
• pasta
• teabags

By giving just one or two cans, you can help make a big difference in someone's life, and through the Storehouse ministry we all aim to share God's love and compassion for the poor and needy.

Thank you all very much.

July Stats (and requests update)

July was yet another busy month for Storehouse. During the month we received 69 requests from 12 different local agencies and as a result gave away 80 bags of food and toiletries to local people in need. We often think of wintertime as being the time of greatest need for hungry people, but unfortunately neither sunshine nor rain directly feeds someone who has no food. And while some of us can afford to go on holiday, others in our community struggle to even put a meal on the table. Through Storehouse, we, as a church and as a wider community of churches, have an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the needy in and around our town. Motivated by God's care and compassion for the broken, the poor and the disadvantaged, we make an impact in a real and practical way as we give away food, toiletries, nappies etc to those who would otherwise struggle to afford them. And it really is a church-wide ministry because Storehouse can only give away what is donated by individuals and other churches in the first place. So a huge thank you to everyone who has give food etc to enable us to help so many people, and may God bless you as you continue to help make a difference in the lives of needy people in West Suffolk.

As you might imagine, with so much food going out so regularly, we need a steady supply of food and toiletries to come in. We very quickly run out of the staple items we need, so if you would like an idea of what you can give to Storehouse, any (even one or two cans) of the following would be wonderful:

• tinned meat, or meaty meals
• tinned vegetables
• instant mashed potato
• tinned fruit and desserts
• long life milk
• small packets of cereals

Thank you

June stats & requests update

As expected, June was yet another busy month for Storehouse. The warm weather might be enjoyed by many of us, but it still doesn't put food in an empty cupboard. And so during the month Storehouse received 58 requests for food bags from around a dozen local agencies plus some non-agency requests. As a result, 67 bags were given away to single men, women and families in need in and around Bury St Edmunds. Thank you for all of your support and donations of food and toiletries, sharing God's love and care for the poor in this practical way.

Because we have given away so much food, we are still running really low on most items now. In particular we have completely run out of tinned meat and have almost run out of tinned meals (e.g. ravioli, spag bol etc) and desserts. We are also getting low on just about everything else (even soups and baked beans), apart from tinned tuna, of which we have a very large supply. If you are able to spare even one or two cans*, we would be most grateful and you can be assured that everything you give really does make a difference. Thank you

*

Urgent requests update

As I said in my earlier post, June is usually a very busy time of the year for Storehouse. Today, we have no tinned meat left in the cupboards, which means that we will struggle to make up any further food bags with a full compliment of meals for 2 - 3 days. Whilst tinned meat can be quite expensive, every single can that anyone donates, really will make a difference.
We have also run out of tea bags and pasta sauces and are running low of tinned vegetables, desserts, cereals (especially variety packs) and long life milk.
As we often say, one or two cans really do make a difference, and as we continue to give food bags away to needy people and families every week, we continue to need to replenish that food. As Summer takes hold, let's not forget that people in our community do still go hungry, do need help and can be shown God's love for them in action. Thank you.

Requests update

June is often a particularly busy time of year for Storehouse. This may be because some young people have to leave home once they've finished school. Whatever the reason, we usually see an increase in demand for food bags this month. We're really pleased to have received a very large donation of tinned tuna recently, but we are running low on several other basic requirements, so if you would like to know what you can buy for Storehouse, we would especially appreciate any of the following:

• tinned meat
• tinned vegetables
• desserts
• pasta sauces
• cereals, especially the variety packs
• long life milk

Without all of these, it becomes quite difficult to make up a bag to provide 2-3 days worth of meals for a person, so do be assured that if you give any of these items to Storehouse, they will be used almost immediately and really will make a difference. Thank you.

May stats

May was yet another busy month for Storehouse. During the month the Vineyard Centre received requests for food bags for 33 single men, 20 single women and 10 families, resulting in 73 bags of food and toiletries being given away. These requests were from 12 different local agencies (Citizens Advice Bureau, Connexions, Social Services, Drug Services, hostels etc) plus some non agency requests.
It is your gifts of food and toiletries that enables Storehouse to continue to reach out into our community and touch the lives of people struggling to put a meal together. Often your gifts also touch the hearts of the people who work in the different agencies with whom we work. It's amazing how big an impact these gifts can have. In the Bible, an angel told a Roman soldier, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God." We might or might not see the difference we make, but every can or carton is seen and does make a difference. Thank you.

Food needs update

Storehouse is continuing to give away around 15 or more food bags every week. That's around 15 main meals (meat, veg, potato/pasta/rice), 15 desserts, 15 snack meals, 15 cartons of long life milk, around 45 variety boxes of cereal, 15 cans of beans/spaghetti, 15 tins of soup etc etc. As you can see, that's a lot of food that is given away every week, but it is only as a result of the ongoing support and generosity of everyone who gives food and toiletries to Storehouse. At the moment we are running particularly low on all of the following:

• tinned meat
• tinned veg
• desserts
• pasta and pasta sauces

We will also need the other items that we give away each week, especially

• tinned snack meals
• tinned fish/cold meat
• cereals
• long life milk
• pot noodles
• snacks, biscuits
• tea bags

Every tin, carton or packet that is given to Storehouse really does make a difference. We give away around 60 bags a month in response to requests from a wide range of local agencies, but each bag is for someone in real need. Your kindness and generosity is what enables Storehouse to keep helping to meet these needs, and to show something of God's care and compassion for the poor and needy. Thank you.

Food needs...

Already this month Storehouse has given away more than 30 bags of food to needy people in and around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. As a result we urgently need the following items:

• long life milk (we have none left in the cupboards)
• tinned meat (we had 2 tins left on Wednesday)
• tinned meals like ravioli, spag bol etc (hardly any left)

We also getting low on fish, vegetables and desserts. If you are able to drop any of these items in to the Vineyard Centre or in the Storehouse buckets on Sunday morning we would be really grateful. Not only us, but each tin will make a real difference to someone who maybe might not otherwise be able to put a meal on his or her plate that day. Thank you and may God bless you as you continue to support this invaluable way of reaching out with compassion to people in need in our community.

April stats

April was yet another busy month, although very slightly quieter than previous months. During the month 10 different local agencies made a total of 54 requests, which, when added to non agency requests, resulted in 63 food bags being given away. Whether months and weeks are busy or quiet, each food bag that is given away makes a big difference to the recipient. And each tin or packet of food is food that someone otherwise might not have had, but for the kindness of the person who chose to give it. So thank you to everyone who has given food and toiletries to Storehouse through the last month; already we are starting to run low on some basic items like desserts, meat and veg so every one or two cans that you give really do make a difference. May God bless you as you share his goodness and kindness with those in need. Thank you.

Urgent requests update

Thank you so much for all your gifts of food and Easter eggs. However, we still need a few more Easter eggs, including some some of the small ones for an Easter egg hunt (see eggstra special request below), so if you can drop any in at the Vineyard Centre before this Thursday that would be great. Also, we are right out of desserts so again, if you are able to drop any tinned or packet desserts, puddings etc in at the Vineyard Centre we would greatly appreciate them. Thank you

March stats

March was yet another busy month for Storehouse; we were contacted during the month by 13 different local agencies resulting in a total of 56 requests, plus one non agency request. As a result, Storehouse gave away 64 bags to needy men, women and families in and around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. These are real people, in real situations, young and old, who find themselves struggling to even put food on the table. Your kindness, generosity and willingness to share, makes a real difference in the lives of these people, and we hope it shows something of God's heart for the poor and needy as we reach out to them within our community. Thank you.

Eggstra special request

One of the local agencies with whom we work has asked whether we might be able to help them out in a similar way to how we did last year by buying them some Easter eggs. Ideally, they would like around 20 "normal" sized Easter eggs to give to the children of the mainly single mums in their care, plus some small eggs for them to hide as they hope to arrange an Easter egg hunt. They don't need the eggs until the Thursday after Easter, so if you would like to donate an egg or some small eggs, then please feel free to drop them in at the Vineyard Centre or at Church on Easter Sunday. If we receive too many, we will simply give them away in food bags so don't worry on that front! This is another opportunity to share with those who might struggle at this time of year, and as we approach the time of year when we particularly focus on why Jesus came, it's good to be able to share that love that God has for everyone. Thank you.

Cupboards of Love

Last year Storehouse was given some large MDF cupboards and so we have moved most of the food etc out of the grey metal cupboards and into these "new" ones, as they are much larger. When we were given the cupboards, they were just bare MDF, but recently, Lynette and Liz have kindly painted the cupboards, with the design and colour scheme etc being entirely up to them. Here's what the design on one of the doors now looks like, together with Lynette's own words to tell the story:

When asked to decorate the cupboards in January for Storehouse, I had an overwhelming urge to celebrate the fact that these were “cupboards filled with love” (hence ♥ motif)

Each item is a single act of compassion and love which, when put together, can change lives or make a difference! WOW!

We can be faced daily with a decision of, “do I bother to help with….. or does it make a difference if….?” You know, every time we do “bother”, something happens…. a situation is changed.

Several years ago a project started in South Africa called T-Bag Designs. It was born out of a desire to help families on townships who had nothing. A used T-Bag was dried, emptied and became a canvas for painted designs. These were then made into cards or used to decorate products and sold. This simple act of re-using T-Bags provided employment, which in turn gave a sense of purpose leading to self-worth and hope. Many people now “bother” to dry out T-bags for this project. It is a simple act, but life changing to those in the township.

These same T-Bags are now on the Storehouse doors. So, as we look at the T-Bag hearts, let’s receive a new heart of compassion. Let our hearts be softened so we can see the worth in every human being, whatever their circumstances.

Let’s see lives changed through love.

Thank you Lynette, and Liz.

February stats

For a short month, February was very busy as far as Storehouse was concerned. During the month we received 55 requests from 14 different agencies plus a non-agency request, resulting in 67 bags being given away. It's been good to see this ministry grow, and sometimes to be able to offer those who come to collect their food bags a cup of coffee or even some hot soup. We hope that this ministry will continue to grow through 2010, but we know that we can only do this through the continuing support of everyone who donates food, toiletries and even their time to Storehouse. Thank you to everyone who does this, in whatever way; every donation makes a real difference to those who receive a food bag. In February that was 55 individuals and families whose lives were touched by the kindness and generosity of people who had been willing to give food and toiletries etc to Storehouse. Thank you so much, and may God bless you as you share his love in this way.

BBC - West Suffolk food project Storehouse 'busier than ever'

Following on from their couple of radio reports earlier in February, The BBC Suffolk website is now also running a piece about Storehouse. You can have a look by clicking here: BBC - West Suffolk food project Storehouse 'busier than ever'

Storehouse on the Air

A couple of weeks ago we were visited by BBC Radio Suffolk, who wanted to run a short piece on Storehouse, as they had heard about it from Ann Coleman at Aid to Hospitals Worldwide. Philippa Taylor came to the Vineyard Centre and had a chat with Margie and Jonathan, and a short piece was aired on Drivetime on Radio Suffolk on the 10th of February. A longer piece went out on the following Sunday morning show, and if you missed it and would like to hear it then click here.

January stats etc

The start of 2010 has shown little let up in the busyness of Storehouse. During this first month of a new year, Storehouse received 62 requests for food bags, from 9 different local agencies plus a couple of non-agency requests, resulting in 69 food bags being given away. Almost half of the requests this month have been for young people, via Connexions and YMCA. It's great to be able to offer Storehouse's practical help to these young people who probably don't have the love and support of a caring family around them. Everyone who supports Storehouse, in whatever way, helps to support these often vulnerable young people, and others, and show them something of God's fatherly love for them. That's why we do what we do - to show and share God's love for the poor, the desperate, the needy. Thank you for all YOU do in continuing to help make this possible.

If you are wondering whether there is anything in particular that you might be able to give to Storehouse to help at the moment, we are beginning to run a little low on meaty meals (eg ravioli, spahetti bolognese, macaroni cheese etc) and tinned vegetables. Any donations of these items would be most welcome, thank you. Remember, even one or two-cans make a difference.

Review of December and 2009

Although the Vineyard Centre was closed from Christmas Eve onwards, December still proved quite a busy month for Storehouse. We received 65 requests through the month from 13 different local agencies, plus a few non-agency requests, resulting in us giving away 80 bags to needy people in Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. Whether it is Christmas time or not, these bags make a real difference in the lives of those who receive them. We were also able to give away some extra Christmas hamper bags to some families, to help make their Christmas a little more special. Thank you to everyone who contributed chocolates, crackers, biscuits, nuts and other treats, to enable us to do this.
Many of you will also have bought presents for the children whose names were given to us by Bury Family Centre. As a Church we gave nearly 80 gifts to the Family Centre for them to pass on to the children who they felt were in particular need of a present this Christmas. Thank you to everyone who responded so generously; each child had a present/voucher brought for him or her in accordance with the suggestions made by the Family Centre, so a huge thank you to you all.
As a whole, 2009 was again a busy year, pretty much in line with 2008. The number of requests rose slightly from 731 in 2008 to 750 in 2009, resulting in a total of 888 bags (up from 884) being given away to individuals and families via just over 20 different local agencies (Social Services, CAB, Drug Services, Connexions, Health Practices, Probation, Hostels etc).
It has been wonderful to see this ministry continue to flourish through 2009, but it has only been possible through the continuing generosity of everyone who has supported Storehouse throughout the year - individuals and families at WSVC, other local churches, local schools and others. Thank you very, very much - each and every one or two cans will have made a real difference in the life or lives of those who have received the bags of food Storehouse has given away. We are looking forward to seeing this ministry grow in 2010, seeing God's love put into action by the generosity of people who are willing to reach out to the poor and needy in a real and practical way. May God bless you and Storehouse this year as we join together in this wonderful ministry. Thank you.