GAIL's Bakery Greenwich

We are a Christian organisation that promote the love of Jesus Christ world wide. We are set up to promote faith in God and love in the community. We share the love of Christ to all though the expression of love to all mankind across the globe. Our organisation, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) operates in over 190 countries of the world and we are in over 700 places in the United Kingdom. We promote the true love of Christ, unity and peace among mankind. We share physical things like food, cloth etc from our donors in the communities where we operate. Duding Covid, we secured a grant of £10,000 from London Community fund for food and toiletries for BAME families. We set up a purchase and distribution plan with the local retail shops that opened at the time. Provided them with a list of the items as contents of each pack for either families or individuals. We sent out information through WhatsApp and other social media in the community requesting interested members of the community to respond to us via a dedicated number with their name, address etc. We reverted to therewith our distribution schedule and time in their area and effect deliveries accordingly. In some instances we worked with the community group leaders to reach their members in a more organised way. Overall we were able to distribute food and toiletries to over 300 BAME families in Greenwich and Bexley boroughs within a few weeks.

- Religious activities - The general public/mankind - Provides services

We opened Evelyn Community Store in Deptford on 26th February 2019. We are in one of the most deprived London boroughs and our aim is to reduce food poverty and the stigma attached to it. The community store offers an alternative to a food bank and ensures members have food each week. It’s run by local volunteers in partnership with Lewisham Homes and FareShare which consists of chilled, frozen, fresh and ambient stock. Members visit the store once a week, pay £3.50 and receive a range of groceries, provided by Fareshare, but we also understand that their is a greater need in the fight to combat food poverty, so any surplus food we are able to obtain is given out free. To be a member of the store you have to either be a family/person or couple on a very low income, or be in receipt of benefits and struggling to pay your bills. We have 85 members and already have a waiting list. The project has made us realise how difficult it is for people on a low income to ensure they are eating at least one meal every day. Whilst our aim is to provide food for our members we have become increasingly aware of how isolated many of our families are. It is almost the festive period and we are hoping to pair up with a store local to us so that we can ensure as many families as possible have food over the Christmas period for a least a few days if not more. It will mean so much to our members to be able to take food home and know that they can eat well and will let members know that they are not forgotten about during the festive period and hard times. Our members consist of young single parents, young couples single people all ranging in ages, as well as the elderly and people who are disabled. Also if there is any chilled foods we can transport them safely in the chill boxes we have.we are currently feeding over 500 mouths a week, and the need is growing week by week. It has had a massive impact on what we do as and how much we give out.