Nourish Community Foodbank
Health
We want to continue to provide fresh food vouchers with our food bags.
About this cause
Nourish provides short-term emergency food & provisions to people in crisis in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells and South Tonbridge. We work out of a central distribution centre and deliver food bags to our beneficiaries ensuring confidentiality and keeping overheads to a minimum. We have a very robust referral only framework to ensure the need is genuine and work closely with all of our referral agencies. This ensures that all of our beneficiaries are receiving the necessary ongoing support in order to target the root cause of their problems. In 2015-2016, 3,141 people in crisis in Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas were provided with three days' emergency food, 43% of whom were under 18. This was an increase of 38% from 2014-2015 and we have again seen increased demand in 2016-2017.
How this cause brings people in the community together
People are referred to Nourish for a wide variety of reasons such as problems with benefits, domestic violence, low/delayed wages, debt and homelessness. It is often the case that the underlying issues are complex and the need for referral to Nourish is caused by a multitude of factors After a successful referral to Nourish, the beneficiary receives a parcel containing three days’ emergency food and supplies. Our packages also contain our 'fresh food vouchers' which are exchangeable at two local outlets for fresh meat and vegetables. The fresh food voucher scheme is extremely important to our beneficiaries as they ensure healthy and balanced dietary requirements are met. They also help support two local independent food businesses.