Norwich foodbank celebrates its volunteers
To mark national Volunteers Week, two of the 180 volunteers at Norwich Foodbank, mother and son Teresa and Greg, talk about their own motivations for lending a helping hand.
My first experience of Foodbank was when as a family, including my son Greg who has learning difficulties, we were helping to run a group called SMG – Special Me Group. The group initially started as a ten week introduction to Jesus for young people with learning disabilities. Those ten weeks turned into many wonderful years learning and growing in faith together. One aspect of the group was to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and show kindness and care for others. So we spoke to Hannah (Norwich Foodbank Manager) and arranged a visit to The Foodbank Warehouse and an opportunity to care for others in a practical way in the warehouse.
When we visited I was impressed by the simple (on the surface) but organised way that the warehouse runs. As a group there was a way for everybody to contribute to the work that needed to be done. This impression of Foodbank stuck with me and when Greg finished further education we were helping him to look for work opportunities, he thought of volunteering at The Foodbank. Sadly, many other organisations only see disadvantages of having a person with additional needs in their workforce. Work opportunities and volunteering places are difficult to find.
We spoke to Hannah again and asked if there might be a volunteer position in the warehouse on a regular basis. As always she was very welcoming and we filled in the forms and gave references and a short while after started on a Monday morning shift. I came along on the first couple of visits intending to support Greg until he was happy he knew what to do. Greg remembered his visits from our SMG days and was soon part of a team. Even though Greg hadn’t needed my support from about the second week, I realised that Foodbank was a part of my life too. I had a better understanding of the way Foodbank supports individuals, couples and families in need. However, Foodbank was and still is supporting our need to help others and feel we are making a difference too.
So after many years and a pandemic we come along for our Monday morning shift at the warehouse. We work as a small team that feels more like family. We feel that we help to support the very much needed work of The Norwich Foodbank. I am still hugely impressed by the organisation and the people behind the running of it. I also feel that Greg and I are blessed to be a small cog in the mechanism and reflect
Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
https://norwich.foodbank.org.uk
Pictured: Greg and Teresa at Norwich Foodbank