Kind-hearted residents, families and team members at a Blandford Forum care home are doing their bit to support people who rely on a community food bank.
Colten Care’s Whitecliffe House chose Nourish as its charity of the year and used a recent harvest service as an opportunity to organise donations of food as part of its campaign of help.
Nourish, previously known as Blandford Food Bank+, currently supports around 650 people in Blandford and surrounding villages and last year provided around 500 emergency food parcels.
Supported by the charity Faithworks, it runs a community larder, café and friendship club alongside free debt advice, cookery workshops, homelessness support and other services.
Emma Carmichael, Nourish Larder Co-ordinator, gave an update on food bank activities when she joined Whitecliffe House residents to lead the harvest service.
It featured three hymns chosen by residents themselves followed by a handover of the donated items, which included pasta, cereal, tinned food and biscuits.
Resident Joan Dawson said: “It was a lovely service with lovely hymns. What a real joy it was to sing We Plough the Fields and Scatter, Morning Has Broken and All Things Bright and Beautiful.”
Jo Parker, Companionship Team Leader at Whitecliffe House, said: “We were really surprised to hear about the number of people using the food bank. The facts about the need for the food bank made me want to cry.
“Emma’s visit helped residents gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced by local families and reinforced their commitment to supporting Nourish.”
Emma added that residents and staff at Whitecliffe House will host a festive Christmas Market at the Whitecliff Mill Street home on Tuesday 24 November, from 2pm to 4pm, and members of the public are warmly invited to attend.
Residents will be helping to man the stalls, selling homemade Christmas cards and marmalade, with all proceeds going to Nourish.
For more information, visit www.coltencare.co.uk/whitecliffe-house/news-events.
