Slough Foodbank were able to provide a family in crisis with a 3-day emergency food parcel within less than 24 hours of receiving an online enquiry.
On Friday afternoon, we received an email via our website from a professional at a London Borough Council. The email was telling us that due to family issues they had to rehouse an adult with a young child in Slough. The family were totally new to the area, with no local knowledge and were in desperate need for food. The enquiry from the council professional was to ask; ‘how could Slough Foodbank help them?’
We asked for more information from the London council in order to direct them where to get a voucher and where to collect food. We also got the address and contact details of a local agency who have been allocated to support the family. We contacted the local agency on Saturday morning and explained our opening hours (10 – 11.30am) at Wexham and asked if they could direct the client there. As it was short notice, it wasn’t possible for the family to get a voucher on Saturday, so the Foodbank Manager issued a voucher in retrospect.
In order to help the family, we contacted the Foodbank Distribution Centre co-ordinator in Wexham, informing them that the family would come without a voucher but that it had been authorised for them to collect food.
A 3-day emergency food parcel for both the adult and child was distributed and the local agency will work with the family to arrange for ongoing vouchers, should they need them, from one of our 145 referral agencies.
It’s terribly sad that someone should find themselves in this situation but we’re thankful that Slough Foodbank can help people in desperate situations and with such a quick turnaround of less than 24 hours, even at the weekend.
