ALDI IRTHLINGBOROUGH

Christ Exalted Church (CEC) is a registered charity in the UK. CECs always work together with their partners to reach out to the community to improve people's livelihoods. CEC is a multicultural and diverse church in Wellingborough. The members of CEC are predominantly Black African and Caribbean. The majority of CEC members are needy families and the homeless. The object of CEC is to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the statement of beliefs in such ways and in such parts of the United Kingdom as the trustees may occasionally think fit. CEC & EMMAERICS charity services work in partnership with Foodiverse and Neighbourly to collect surplus food for donation. The surplus collection has helped us to feed and support over 10,000 (ten thousand) needy families and homeless people, including children, since 2017. These needy families and homeless people depend on the surplus food collection to meet their daily needs

We started in October 2015 feeding the homeless, rootless and in need on a Saturday. We now run a Social Supermarket on Tuesdays 12 - 2, a fresh fruit and vegetable food bank on Thursdays 12 - 2 all from surplus food from Supermarkets and Saturdays we serve hot food 5 - 6pm. We currently run 5 projects. Our first project is Dine With Us on The Streets - Cherries Legacy where we support between 80 to 100 people with hot hearty food, take away food such as tins, sandwiches, crisps, fruit, hot drinks, toiletries and clothes, every Saturday These are people who are either street homeless, in hostels, on means tested benefits or in other financial crisis. We have been running this project since October 2015 and we believe in treating people with respect and with dignity. Our second project is Dine With Us Community Larder, our Food Bank project ,launched in February 2019, giving access to vital nourishment for those suffering food poverty. The need for this is much greater than we anticipated and we now need more partners so we can ensure that we have enough food to meet the demand. We are also incurring significant costs operating the programme, with the yearly rent on the unit, running costs and other sundries. We have seen as many as 75 (seventy five) families come to collect food in a single day. Our third project sees us support 11 schools with more looking to come on board (which we cannot commit to yet as we do not have enough food). Fresh fruit and vegetables and protein play a pivotal part in our organisation, as is encouraging people to eat more healthily, regardless of their circumstances. Our fourth project is sending out care packages to the community, quite often through the schools as well and our fifth project is opening and running Bedfords first Social Supermarket which has been in operation since April 2020. This gives people access to affordable food and provides a fundraising vehicle for us, to help towards the other projects we run on a goodwill basis.

IMPAKT Food is a vital resource supporting the diverse communities of Bedford, helping more than 150 individuals and families experiencing food poverty each week. Our open, stigma free model removes barriers to accessing food and ensures that anyone in crisis can get support when they need it. We are one of the only local services offering free access to fresh, chilled and frozen food with a no questions asked approach. Alongside fresh produce, we provide a wide range of essential items including cupboard staples such as pasta, rice and tinned goods, as well as hygiene products, nappies, cleaning supplies and pet food. Some customers rely on us regularly, while others turn to us during unexpected expenses or emergencies. In every case, we act as a crucial safety net, preventing temporary difficulties from escalating into more severe hardship. We are also committed to environmental sustainability. By diverting food away from landfill, we help our customers create healthy meals while reducing the environmental impact of food waste. We are always in need of regular donations of the following items: Fruit & Veg, Toiletries, Meat, Fish & Poultry, Household Products, Bakery, Baby Essentials, Dairy Products, Home Baking, Pasta & Rice, Cereals, Tinned Goods, Snacks, Condiments