storehouse foodbank
As a church that loves its community we are keen to offer more than a prayer when we find a neighbour who has hit rock bottom.
We started Storehouse around the same time we started this church, in September 2007. Today we have fed thousands of local people in crisis in Sudbury and the surrounding areas in south Suffolk. And we will continue to do so for as long as we are needed.
how does it work?
We give emergency food bags to families and individuals through a referral system, partnering with a growing number of agencies in Sudbury and the surrounding areas. They hold our Food Request Slips, which they give to their clients, so that they can visit one of our Drop-ins.
I found kindness, no judgement – just kind, caring people that offered me help in many ways. Thank you so much!
where can I get a request slip?
Currently, we are working with the following organisations. The list is growing all the time.
CAB
Befrienders
Job Centre
Catch 22
Open Invitation
Turning Point
Social Services
Genesis Housing
GPs
Mental Health Services
Your local church
Children’s centres
Orwell Housing
Pick up a Food Request Slip from one of these fine organisations and they can refer you to us. You will then able to pick up an emergency bag on a Tuesday or Friday afternoon between 1-3pm. Simple as that. No strings attached. But with a lot of love.
where does the food come from?
We have a number of Donation Stations in and around Sudbury, which are all easily accessible for dropping off food. These includes our partnerships with Waitrose, Ipswich Building Society and East of England Co-ops: Long Melford, Lavenham & Great Cornard. All of whom would love to see. You can also drop off food at Vineyard Centre by Ormiston Sudbury Academy in Tudor Road, Sudbury, Mondays and Thursday between 12-4pm.
Food is collected and carefully counted in our stockroom by a Storehouse Team. It is then dated and put into bags ready for use. Please note, we cannot take any out-of-date or damaged items. We want to give just the best to those who need to see the best of people to restore their self-esteem.
Why not be a part of our growing army of regular food donors that gives regular hope to our community week by week? All it takes is a couple of extra cans when you do your own shopping.
what food do you need?
We currently collect dry-store foods only, as we do not have refrigeration facilities. For an up-to-date list of what we need, see our Storehouse shopping list .
who makes storehouse happen?
Storehouse is run by volunteers from Vineyard with help from our friends in the community. We have around 20 volunteers, as well as two part-time salaried staff. Volunteers have key roles and are part of different teams, including Drop-in Welcomers, Drop-in Assessors , Stock Room and Collection Teams. On staff, we have our Storehouse Team Leader and Community Liaison who is responsible for strengthening our referral agency links and building Business Partners. If you would like Vicky to speak your church, school or organisation, why not drop her an email?
You do not need to be part of Stour Valley Vineyard to volunteer – just sympathetic to our cause and Vineyard values. If you’d like to know more about volunteering, get in touch.
