Urgent requests plea(se)

Roy and Margaret delivered all of yesterday's food collection to the Vineyard Centre this morning, and had to make up a few more bags, because so many have gone out. When they left there were several things that we have run right out of:

• We have no instant mashed potato
• we have no desserts of any kind
• we have no tinned vegetables (you can buy a tin of carrots etc for around 20 - 30p)
• we have one carton of long life milk left
• we have hardly any tinned meal items (e.g. ravioli, macaroni cheese, spag bol)

As we reach one of our busiest times of the year, we are going to need a good supply of all of the above, as they go into every food bag we make up. Please consider adding just one or two cans to your weekly shop, to share with those who maybe have nothing, and please feel free to drop any items in at the Vineyard Centre during the week. May God bless you as you help others with your gifts. Thank you.

April stats, and requests update

April was another busy month for Storehouse; during the month we received 60 requests from 11 different local agencies, plus a non agency request, resulting in us giving away 69 food bags to local needy people. It's wonderful that we have been able to do this, and we are so very grateful for all the continued donations we receive. The first week in the new Vineyard Centre (see earlier post), has been far from quiet, with more than 20 food bags going out in the first week alone. As a result of the high number of requests we are receiving, the cupboards are looking fairly bare again, and we are in real need of the following items:

• tinned fish*
• tinned meat* and meaty products*
• tinned vegetables*
• tinned potatoes*
• instant mashed potato
• dry pasta* and rice*
• pasta sauces
• tinned fruit and desserts

We have run out of the items marked * completely.

In each food bag that we give away we try to put sufficient food for 3 meals a day for 2 - 3 days, so you can imagine the volume of food that has gone out in the last week. Over the last three years, June has always been one of our busiest months so I guess that the number of requests that we receive will continue to rise. Please consider bringing some of the above items to our Sunday morning celebration, or drop them in at the Vineyard Centre during the week. But also, ask God what He would have you do. We say that one or two cans make a difference, and they not only make a difference to the person who receives them, but as we open our heart to what God wants us to do, it can begin to make a difference to us too. Thank you.

We're moving...

The Vineyard Centre is moving...
to 15a Out Westgate, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3NZ
on 7th May 2009
The phone number, website and emails all stay the same(although they may not work on 7th May itself)
Click here for a PDF on parking arrangements.
If you stop on the double yellow lines for loading and unloading then your vehicle must not go onto the pavement and you can only be there for a max of 20 minutes whilst un/loading is actually being carried out.

Requests update

If you were at our Sunday morning celebration at St James' School, you might have seen the photos of the nearly empty Storehouse food cupboards. We collected a wonderful amount of food on Sunday, thank you, and we have been able to make up bags ready for the coming week, as requests keep coming in. However, that does mean that once again we are right out of some things and very low on others. The items we have run out of completely are as follows:

• tinned meat and meat products
• tinned fish (I think we might have one tin of tuna left)
• tinned potatoes
• long life milk
• rice
• deodorant, shampoo

We are also running very low on the following:

• pasta
• tinned vegetables
• instant mashed potato
• desserts
• cereals
• other toiletries, especially shower gel

We are truly grateful for everything that you give to Storehouse. You do an amazing thing as you give even just one or two cans to help people who have little or nothing (I was talking to a guy today who has been waiting for his benefits to come through since March 20th). Let me quote from The Message intro to Zephaniah: "Everything you do or think or feel has to do with God. Every person you meet has to do with God." We live in a vast world of interconnectedness, and the connections have consequences, either in things or in people - and all the consequences come together in God. We might never know the impact our gifts might have on someone's life, but we can be sure that our gifts will make a difference; it might even be the case that the difference will start with us, as we start to see people with God's eyes, and as we reach out in love towards them. So thank you for continuing to be a part of this ministry as we try to extend a hand of help and show some of God's love to our needy community.

Urgent requests update

We are running very low of quite a few items and are right out of some. In particular, we need the following:

• tinned meat*
• pasta*
• pasta sauces*
• instant mash*
• tinned mixed vegetables
• tinned tomatoes*
• tinned kidney beans*
• tinned fruit* and other desserts*
• long life milk*
• snacks
• toiletries - toothpaste*, razors, body wash, shampoo*, deodorants

The items marked with * we have run right out of. As we try and make up a bag to give meals for a couple of days, it will be difficult without any meat, dessert and milk. If you are able to drop any items in at the Vineyard Centre that will be useful too. Thank you for all your donations and for continuing to be prepared to help and support those in our community who maybe have nowhere else to turn.

March stats & requests update

During March, Storehouse received 51 requests from eleven local agencies and some non agency requests. This resulted in 63 food bags being given away during the month to help support people in need in and around Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk. There has been a steady and good supply of food coming in, so thank you to everyone who has donated food and toiletries over the past month - it is your kind donations that have filled these bags and shown the recipients a practical example of God's love for them. If you read through the Bible, from the Old testament through the New, you will find again and again God declaring and demonstrating his care and compassion for the poor, and his will that his people should do the same. As you give just one or two cans, you are demonstrating that love for the poor that God desires, reaching out to the disadvantaged, the downtrodden and the demoralised. May God bless you as you bless others.
We try and fill each bag with a variety of food to give the recipient enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two or three days. At the moment, we are running low on the following items and would appreciate these in particular:

• tinned meat*
• tinned veg, esp mixed veg, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans
• pasta* and pasta sauces*
• tinned fruit and other desserts
• long life milk
• toiletries of all sorts, especially toothpaste*
• tin openers

*we have run right out of these items at the moment.

Thank you so much for all you give. It is wonderful that this ministry is so well supported by so many people. Please feel free to bring items other than those above, and please also feel free to drop them in at the Vineyard Centre during the week, as well as at our Sunday morning celebration at St James' Middle School. Thank you.

February stats

During February Storehouse received 37 requests for food bags from 13 different local agencies plus some non agency requests, resulting in 47 food bags being given away. Whilst this is fewer bags than in 2008, it is wonderful to be able to meet these needs. Each bag makes a difference to the person or people receiving it, and each can or box that you give goes into making that difference. It can make a difference too to you; as John Wimber said once, "What an awesome opportunity we have to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We must never forget the poor and the oppressed among us. For when we give ourselves to others, our own healing will be waiting." So thank you for all your continuing donations. We are still running a bit low on some items that we would particularly appreciate at the moment as follows:

• tinned potatoes and instant mashed potato
• tinned vegetables
• tinned tomatoes
• pasta sauces
• tinned fruit and other desserts
• toiletries, especially toothpaste*, body wash*, shampoo*
• plastic bowls, cutlery etc - for use by people with no cooking facilities

We are grateful for everything that is given to Storehouse and it is wonderful that we are able to meet all of the needs and requests for food and toiletries that come to us. Storehouse really is the ministry of the whole of West Suffolk Vineyard, and even beyond; it continues to give as it continues to receive from everyone who supports it. Thank you for your continued kindness - may you be blessed as you bless those in need in our community.