Wimborne Food Bank Newsletter 

Good Afternoon Dear Supporters, 
 
The last month - Has been busy with serving families, doing talks at Harvest assemblies & services & sorting Harvest donations. We would like to say a massive thank you for everyone who held a Harvest collection for us this year as this has really helped our stock levels which were lower than I have ever known them to be. Our Financial Resilience team have also just run our second Money Course. 
 
Acts4Sharing - Is a charity based in Ringwood that we refer people that we are working with to who supply furniture, household items & electrical goods to people within a 25-mile radius of Ringwood. I am sharing this as I recently did a talk at a local Church where someone had just paid for a house clearance & they expressed to me how much they would have loved to have donated the furniture to them & know that it had helped someone in need. We often see people who have just been housed & have nothing, so they need a lot of help with things like cutlery, saucepans, furniture & appliances. Acts4Sharing collect these items free of charge or they can be taken directly to their warehouse, people just need to arrange a collection / drop off date with them. For more information, please see their website - acts4Sharing.org. 
 
October Half Term - We are working with the wonderful artist Emma Kerr who was awarded a Wimborne Town of Culture grant to hold a free family craft session for the people that we are serving, where the children will be print making, creating imagination books, making up fascinating stories & more. 
 
Reverse Advent - I have attached two versions of our Reverse Advent Initiative (one is a more print friendly version) If you would like to support this initiative, we would be super thankful as these items will be going towards supporting families this Christmas & in our Christmas Hampers. If possible, we would love these donations in by the end of November as we will be giving out our hampers from early December. If you cannot get to the shops to participate in this initiative a £5 donation would help us to buy a present for someone who might not receive one otherwise. 
 
Christmas Hampers - We are hoping to distribute 75 Christmas Hampers to help the hardest hit families this Christmas. They will include everything for their Christmas Day lunch & treats for the Christmas period. We are hoping that we can also include a family game & a knitted Christmas novelty with chocolate coins inside which the Knitter Natter Club have very kindly agreed to make for us. 
 
Christmas - We are busy planning two Santa's Grotto events in early December & we are hoping that we can provide every adult & child with a Christmas present. We would love some Christmas presents donated especially for teenagers & for men as these are the categories that we tend to receive the fewest gifts for. 
 
Here is some feedback from a lady that we are working with that had recently fled domestic violence - 
 
'I came into the Food Book feeling really broken and not knowing where to turn to. Everyone was so friendly and helpful I was in tears just feeling so relieved I had food for my daughter and I was able to apply for a grant for a new bed for her. I was just so grateful for all the help and support I had and cannot thank everyone enough'
 
So far this year we have helped to feed over 2000 adults & children with around a week's worth of food, toiletries & cleaning products, we have provided 459 recipe bags which contain all the ingredients & the recipe to make a fresh, healthy meal & successfully applied for 50 grants to further support people who are in crisis & who urgently needed white goods, furniture or clothing. Our stock levels are better, but we are coming up to our busiest time of year by far & so we still need your help during the run up to Christmas 🎅
 
Thank you So much for your kindness, generosity & support, we really do value & appreciate it. We would not be able to do any of the above without it. Thank you 
 
If any of you have any questions or would like to come & see the food bank, then please let me know 😊
 
Kind Regards
Sharon Keenan
Wimborne Food Bank Manager