Feeding the Community – Sava partner with MK Food Bank.
Last Thursday marked the start of Sava’s partnership with MK Food Bank, an amazing charity which helps over 5,000 families in the area. The Food Bank collects donations from supermarkets around MK and redistributes them to families in need. The partnership will see three employees from Sava volunteer at MK Food Bank each week, helping with the food collections.
Dr. Lisa Blake, Matt Bailey and Charlie Langton kicked things off last week.
After collecting the van from the warehouse in Kiln Farm, the trio set off for the shops. Armed with empty totes, a trolley, and the muscles of Charlie – who took care of the heavy lifting – they collected donations from the Sainsburys and Morrisons in the city centre. The donations were loaded onto the van and taken back to the warehouse for processing before heading out to families.
Lisa said it was great to give back to the community in this way and would encourage anyone who can to get involved with the cause. The highlight of her afternoon was finding notes in the donation boxes written by children wishing well to the recipients of the food.
Lisa also noted that other volunteers mentioned that there has been a drop in donations after Christmas and they would love to see the numbers go back up again, especially with the cold months ahead.
Unfortunately, 2022 saw a 40% increase in demand for the Food Bank’s services, meaning support for the charity is needed now more than ever. MK Food Bank’s ongoing appeal is the Food Drop, urging people to provide aid by dropping either food, money, or time.
For anyone interested in supporting the Food Bank there are donation boxes in all large supermarkets around MK. Morrisons even offer pre-packed bags of food meaning all you have to do is pay for the bag and place it straight in the donations box.
Or alternatively, MK Food Bank is always on the lookout for more volunteers both in the warehouse and to collect donations. For more information on how you can get involved as an individual or a business contact them at office@mkfoodbank.org.uk
Claire Bowyer, who takes care of all things wellness here at Sava had this to say about the partnership:
“Sava are delighted to be working with the MK Food Bank at Kiln Farm to support with collecting donations and delivering them to the warehouse. Lisa Marsh at the Food Bank advised that they are always short of drivers, so we have risen to the challenge of sending a team of three people each week to support them.
Please see pictures of our first team rising to the challenge. They had great fun and quickly learnt that tins are heavier than you think when you stack them into a tote and then try and lift it!
We are looking forward to continuing the relationship and raising awareness of this much-needed service.”
Mk Food Bank also runs a confidential Helpline for anyone struggling at this time. After a short phone call explaining your situation, families can receive vouchers for food parcels. The Helpline is open from 9:00 to 15:00 Monday to Friday and can be reached either via phoning 0300 303 4933 or by texting HELP to 07874 964 505. For further information about MK Food Bank see: Welcome to the MK Food Bank | Milton Keynes