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Zero hunger

The Finchley Foodbank was founded in 2013 and is an ecumenical project of St Mary's RC Church, East Finchley and other local churches and organisations. In September 2022, Finchley Foodbank registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Finchley Foodbank is supported by St Mary's RC Church, East Finchley, the local community, grant makers, charities, commercial organisations and other local religious organisations. We provide approximately three days of emergency food for people living in financial hardship in the London Borough of Barnet. This is done through two weekly sessions at St Mary's parish hall where clients can choose items of food and toiletries. Clients are interviewed when registering with us in order to ascertain their needs and are required to provide a letter/bill/statement, dated not more than three months from registration date, showing their name and address. We do not require a voucher or referral. We respect and welcome all those who visit Finchley Foodbank.

We run a soup kitchen Monday to Thursday to the homeless and vulnerable families in Leamington Spa, providing food, clothing, footwear, blankets and sleeping bags. During the soup kitchen, we also take every opportunity refer to other local agencies such as debt advisors, counselling, mentoring, detox rehabilitation centres, as well as to the local food Bank to get further food supplies. Helping Hands receive referrals from local agencies, such as children's centres, social services and schools regarding local individual families and individuals in need. These could be low income families, on benefits, women escaping domestic abuse, those in temporary accommodation or homeless and waiting to be rehoused. We are able to supply furniture, bedding, toiletries, clothing, toys, household goods and soft furnishings in order to help create a homely environment when they move in to their new space, or to fill their current house with essential items. We spend time getting to know some of our referrals. We want to create opportunities of work placements for our soup service users as well as working with already existing services, in order to generate a C.V, work experience, confidence and build self-esteem and self belief. We would like a building to call our own where we can run courses and develop skills. We are also in desperate need of more storage facilities for all of our donation's. This building will have space for sorting the donations and arranging them in to essential starter packs, kitchen starter packs and bathroom and bedroom sets. We will be involving some of our service users to create the packs so they feel engaged and a part of our helping hands team. The overall longterm vision for Helping hands is to be able to provide a detox facility as well as a home environment which would involve a structured programme for those struggling with life controlling issues such as depression, self harm, domestic violence, drug and alcohol usage and homelessness. The vision for this home would be to work with other local agencies in order to provide a programme of restoration..equipping and releasing back in to our community having completed an individually planned programmed for each attendant, which work include counselling, a works programme, skills learning, group sessions e.g learning to love yourself, building self esteem, handling yoir finances, as well as helping with the running of the home and learning essential life skill's.