What an amazing few years we have had. I recall that first week sitting at the helpline desk in a cupboard size office watching the phone like I was watching a kettle boil. Well you know what they say about a watched kettle, so thankfully David Thomson was there to shove me out the door to the community.
In that first week we received 5 calls to the helpline. The Foodbank (storehouse as it was then called) had been launched a few months previously by Sue Owen and we were giving out about 5 hampers a week to people who needed support in the church and local community.
We are now 3 and a half years on...
- with teams in Edinburgh, Stirling and Highlands
- about to launch in 3 other Cities
- about to launch a food programme partnering with 10 churches in Glasgow
- receiving referrals from 40 to 50 organisations and social workers
- answering an average of 60 calls per week
- running a drop-in where 20+ people come each week for immediate support
- aiming to give out 1000 hampers and toys this Christmas
- in our own building complete with drop-in, foodbank, clothing bank, furniture store and buzzing with volunteers every day
- ordering 8 - 10 pallets of food at a time
The floodgates are open and resource is flowing through our hands to families and individuals who are in need of support. We are here by the grace and provision of God and we truly believe that it is His plan and our purpose to love our neighbour. Who is our neighbour? To us, our neighbour is the person we pass in the street; the person we sit next to on the bus; the person who walks through our door; the person who calls our helpline; the person who sends us an email; the person who texts 'help' to our textline - I think you get the picture. Would you like to join the journey to care with us? Check out the links on our homepage under the 'Care With Us' heading.
Watch this space for more blogs.
Susy Coupland