PARCEL DELIVERY SUCCESS

We have delivered a total of 349 parcels with 273 delivered from Big Local and 76 from Local Conversations, with parcel deliveries starting later from Roman Road Librar up to and including 8th May 2020.

The majority of referrals have come through our Facebook pages but we have also taken referrals from Blackburn with Darwen Council Help Hub, Newground, Council Community Connectors and Shadsworth Infant School.

We have delivered to families and individuals experiencing a wide range of vulnerabilities from older people who are shielding through to families struggling to manage on Universal Credit and families who have suddenly lost their jobs or have previously been unemployed and now finding themselves struggling financially and having to navigate the benefits system for the first time.

In addition to the parcels we have delivered to households, we have distributed short dated stock directly from Roman Road Library and Over Darwen Church over the last 4 weeks which has reached an additional 220 households.

We have also donated from Big Local to Islington Hostel on 3 occasions who have used the food to make meals for their residents (equivalent of 50 households). Excess stock from the Big Local shop has also been donated to a lady distributing parcels in Livesey area reaching a further 75 households.

Total reach of our work to date – 694 households.

In addition to our FareShare stock, we have managed to secure weekly food donations from Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Warburtons which have helped reduce the cost of providing parcels as well as cash donations from Shadsworth & Whitebirk residents totalling £775.

Feedback from people receiving parcels has been fantastic but also at times alarming. One gentleman we delivered to in Higher Croft had not seen anyone in 6 weeks and burst into tears when he met our volunteer at the door. We have now referred him for a befriending call. We have delivered to a number of families where children have been incredibly excited at the sight of a food parcel. Below are some quotes from people who have messaged our Facebook pages after receiving a parcel.

“Me mum was well made up about it , she is no good with Facebook so asked me to say a massive thank you to you.”

“Thank u so so much for my parcel today means so much to me and my family the love ov the community coming together to help people out is amazing so thanks again.”

“Cannot thankyou enough for taking all that food to uncle dave, bless you he was so thrilled, thankyou it will last him quite some time from what hes said.”

“Thank you very much for the food parcel I have received. It is much appreciated!”

“Hi just a message to say thank you so much for my food parcel, I’m really grateful for it everything what is in it I love thankyou so much.”