This year our MD Lisa wanted, as always, for AAUK to do better than last year and decided to buy many, many hundreds of Cadbury’s advent calendars to donate to deprived schools, churches, local food banks and special needs schools in our community as they are not something that parents would necessarily be able to stretch to but it is a nice little treat that the children would love and it’s just for them.
This year it was far more organised, although it did look like a hoarder who specialised in chocolate had taken over the showroom during November as Lisa had ordered them amongst other chocolatey gifts in huge numbers directly from Cadbury’s. Unlike last year when she took herself off to Asda and bought hundreds that they’d ordered in for her, so many that they wheeled them out to the waiting van on palettes. It was quite comical to watch Lisa, the AAUK and Asda staff awkwardly try and get them all in the van, but it was eventually accomplished. Then forming a human chain to unload them in to the showroom at the other end.
The advent calendars were all destined for deprived schools, churches, special needs schools and food banks in our community like the ones run by Elim Life Church, after a heavily guarded stopover in the Able Access UK showroom Lisa over the course of a few days loaded them in to her car in the worst hammering rain we’ve seen in ages and started the deliveries as it is one of her favourite things in her calendar to do. By the end of the first day she looked well and truly like a drowned badger but, they were all delivered and ended up safely in the hands of the children before the end of November, children whose families rely on food banks to help them survive.
This was only part one of AAUK’s Christmas plan, parts two and three were all set for delivery to the deprived schools, Churches, local food banks and special needs schools in December just in time for Christmas!
We didn’t give, in order to receive anything but it certainly did make us all feel awesome, the thought that there were children out there that would get a lovely little treat just for themselves every day in December when normally their parents try so hard just to feed them on a daily basis that it is highly unlikely they’d be able to justify a treat like that. It is definitely something we’ll do again in the future and not just for Christmas time.
We would encourage you all to join in and look around your community and ask yourself…
What could I do?
Elim Life Church Food Bank is located at 31 Kettlehouse Road, Kingstanding Circle, B44 9JH
Open from 11.30-1.30 pm every Tuesday.
Hunger is not just a developing countries problem thousands of miles away. People pass you every day – families, children, the vulnerable, the unemployed…
In Kingstanding many people are living on the edge of poverty. National statistics show that 34% of households in Kingstanding with dependent children have no adult in employment – this is more than double the national average. 31% of adults are claimants of main benefits and 50% have no qualifications.
All it takes is a sudden, unexpected event – a bereavement, illness, redundancy – to throw people into a genuine crisis. This is where the food bank can literally be a lifeline to families and individuals who find themselves in this situation.
The food bank provides people with the essentials at a time when they need them most, filling the gap of days – or sometimes weeks – before other parts of our social infrastructure can come into play. We receive donations of dried and tinned food (also toiletries) mainly from churches, our own church members, schools and local residents.
Food parcels are made available to local families and individuals sent on referral. Referrals come from registered professionals including schools, doctors, health visitors, church pastoral workers, advice centres and social workers.
Food bank can also provide toiletries such as toilet rolls, soap, shower gel and toothpaste as well as nappies and baby food.
Kingstanding Life Café – Every Tuesday, while food bank is running, enthusiastic and committed volunteers run our Life Café for food bank clients. This is an opportunity for clients to have a hot cup of tea or coffee and some signposting help if needed. The Café is not restricted to food bank clients and welcomes anyone who is in need of some company to drop in and have a cuppa and chat. It is important to us to help meet the need of the whole person and to show God’s kindness in many different ways.
What can you do?
If you would like to donate food or toiletries to food bank it can be brought to Kettlehouse Road between 11.30 and 1.30 on Tuesdays or deposited in collection points at:-
Tesco Express, Hawthorn Road
Co-Operative, Hawthorne Road
Asda, Perry Barr & Queslett Road
Check out their very informative website for further information and ways you can help improve your local community.
www.elimlifechurch.co.uk
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