After 6 months of
hard work, finding a warehouse, venues for the foodbank centres, volunteers and
above all a large supply of food to be given out, the first ‘live’ session of a
foodbank centre took place on Monday 12 January at Church on the Way, Five Lane
Ends. On the following Thursday, St Luke’s Church, Eccleshill opened as the
second foodbank centre. It is hoped that a third centre, at Shipley Baptist
Church, will be opened in March. There will then be three venues, every week,
to which needy people in BD2, BD9, 10 and 18 can be referred.
I stress that we
are not in competition with the other foodbanks in Bradford. The sad fact is
that there is such a need for emergency food parcels in our city, that all the foodbanks
are likely to be busy for several years to come. We are all showing God’s love
to people, many of whom do not know him.
God has blessed us
in our preparations. We have found a perfect building for our warehouse, on the
Inspire Bradford Business Park behind Eccleshill Community Hospital. Facilities
and equipment have been assembled with the minimum of expense. We needed at
least 3 tonnes of food before we could open to the public; by Christmas we had
5½ tonnes in the warehouse!
This is a truly
ecumenical venture, with input from 13 churches in North Bradford and a large
team of enthusiastic volunteers, who have all received training for their
roles.
Martin B, St Andrew’s
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