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.