Project period: 29.9.2022 – 31.3.2023
Funded by HACKNEY GIVING
Project highlights: We aimed at supporting people in Hackney who are financially struggling. We were able to support 60 people with £55 worth of wholesale price food parcel. We distributed culturally appropriate non-perishable food and few everyday toiletry items packages. Parcels are prepared and collected from our centre. We only deliver to people with mobility issues and elderly. Period 2-3 moths. We purchased £3,300 worth of food from wholesalers.
We handed out food parcels to 60 people of who were in financial difficulty.
I publicized the project and invited community workers to refer people to our project through e mails, newsletter article, Twitter, Facebook and shared in WhatsApp groups. We asked for referrals and self-application by making a basic application via a text message to explain their situation, e.g. whether they are single parents or family or over 65yrs and whether they have no access to public benefit; those here as EEA .
I have searched the market to get food prices from different suppliers and negotiated for lower prices through Turkish food wholesalers, big supermarkets to buy food products as economically as possible to include variety and lots of products. I had to do lots of calculations to find out how much food can I purchase and stay within the budget but try to give as much as possible by buying product to discounted prices or low priced supermarkets. Products were bought from a Turkish wholesaler, Aldi, Tesco.
1,800 kg of food was bought One supplier delivered them to our centre and we packed them there by putting into 4 shopping bags; giving same food to everyone.
34 kind of food products were included in parcels, but in total 39 pieces of dry food products and 1 dish washing liquid and a hand sanitiser was given to each person. Food was placed in to 4 bags and it total weighed: 30kg. Per person. In the lower end of shop, supermarket value of food products each person is received worth of: £90
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLD FOOD PARCELS HANDED OUT: 60 PEOPLE OVERALL TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE BENEFITTED IS: 153 |
OVER 65YRS: 29 PEOPLE SINGLE PARENTS: 14 FAMILY ON LOW INCOME: 7 SINGLE PERSON: 10 EEA (European Economic Agreement status; those who cannot access to any public benefit : 9 Refugee: 1 |
The amount of food handed out to those people approached us and referred within our criteria we made a big difference by providing food products would be enough for at least 1-2 or even 3 months depends on the number of family members. We put 39 items of food – 30 kinds of food products namely; olive and salad oil, tomato paste 630gr, 2 chopped tomatoes, 2kg rice, 2 kg dried white beans, 2 kg coarse cracked wheat, fine cracked wheat, red lentil, green lentil, chick peas, 4 packs of pasta, barley noodle, salt, pomegranate molasses, mixed vegetable pickles, granulated sugar, 2 packs of 1,600gr olives, white Turkish cheese 800gr, Turkish loose tea 500gr, Turkish coffee, cracker biscuit, pack of wafers, chocolate, Turkish pie raw 850gr, 500gr loose filo pastry. 1 washing liquid and a hand sanitizer was included in bags. People were advised to come with shopping trolley or a car to pick up parcels; weighed 30 kg.
Feedback from the beneficiaries who received food parcels:
One young lady was referred to us by our previous service users. The young lady 34yrs old, had a 4yrs old son and was suffering with domestic violence. She came to the UK recently with her husband who has EEA status that means they are here to do business and cannot apply to full public benefit. Social services placed her to temporary accommodation with her son. She is only given £40 per week. She does some cleaning job here. She really appreciated our help and started crying and made us cried as well. She said that “First time someone from our community helping her and felt being cared for”. She does not have any family members in the UK, feeling lonely and going through very difficult time. We felt so happy being able to help someone who really needed our help and appreciated.
Another person who was given food pack actually were one of our regular service users. We delivered it into her house as she was ill on the day of food handout day. She was so happy and called me after opened her bags and she thanked us and said you prepared the food packs by thinking and considering about everything. To hear these nice words made us very happy.
2 people called us and thanked. One of them was an old lady and she told me that she won’t be able to come and collect her food and we said OK. I managed to send her food parcels to her house without her knowledge that’s why she was surprised and felt so happy and appreciated, thanked us by calling me.
The other one was a family made up of 2 elderly people; husband and wife- both had mobility issues and wife had physical disabilities; recently discharged from hospital. We sent her food parcels by arranging someone to take it to them. They called and thanked us for sending it and including all the necessity food products and beyond.
Another 76 year old lady said these: I am so grateful that the food parcels were delivered to my house due to my mobility issues. All the food products were thoroughly thought, selected culturally appropriate food from all the necessary items and more including Turkish tea, biscuits, and chocolate, Turkish pie and also the delivery was arranged on the first day of the Ramadan. It is kindness delivering food parcels to individuals without revealing to others and keeping anonymously when delivered food parcels not to embarrass anyone.
Project Coordinator: Gülnur Salih