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.