Sufra's Coronavirus Emergency Appeal: 'The situation is dire'

From  Rajesh and the team at Sufra Foodbank,

“It’s like being in a war zone,” remarked one of our guests. “No bombs or guns, but widespread panic and confusion – plus the fear that some of our nearest and dearest may not survive.” It’s going to be tough, but Sufra plans to stay open throughout this crisis to ensure that emergency food and support is available to the most vulnerable – yet again, they are the ones who will suffer most. But I won’t lie: the situation is dire.  Supermarket shelves are empty. Whilst some fight over the last toilet roll in the store, the donations we rely on to keep the Food Bank open are dwindling and we are struggling to source and buy the huge amount of food we distribute every week. For the first time ever, we are reducing how much we pack in our food parcels to ensure that our stocks can last the duration of the pandemic. We’re also re-organising our services to protect our vulnerable guests (not to mention volunteers and staff) from infection. Last Friday, rather than welcoming our guests inside to enjoy a community meal with us, staff and guests were left heartbroken when we were forced to provide our freshly cooked meal in a takeaway container. Similarly, during Food Bank we are having to hand-out smaller food parcels at the entrance, rather than inviting people in to pick their own fresh fruit and vegetables and speak to our volunteer advisors. This is a fast-changing situation and we are holding emergency meetings every couple of days to make sure we are doing everything we can to support those who rely on us for food, toiletries and support. Every day we are asking ourselves: How long will our stocks last? What do we do when we can’t buy more food or toiletries for our guests? How will we provide food and support when staff and volunteers start to self-isolate?  Coronavirus Emergency Appeal  This is the biggest crisis Sufra has ever faced. The year 2020 already brought with it the highest demand for the Food Bank in our history and the Coronavirus is now exacerbating the situation. The families we support simply can’t afford to panic buy and hoard food; they’re already knocking on our door in search of basic supplies. But this is just the tip of the iceberg… The UK is on the precipice of a recession, which means financial donations to Sufra will decline, while poverty and inequality increase even further. Add to this Universal Credit, low wages, unaffordable rent and the impact of Brexit on food prices, and you can see why this really is such a toxic environment for a food bank like Sufra and the people who depend on us. Support Our Guests Today That’s why we launched a Coronavirus Emergency Appeal last week to ask for your support during this extraordinary period of crisis. We know from our experience that when we unite as a community, we can always find a way to support those in need. Click here to donate. Every £25 you give will provide an emergency food parcel to two people in desperate need, while £50 will feed a family of four. This includes nappies, milk and nutritious food for babies – essential needs for a family with children.  But what we desperately need in the period ahead is long-term support. Please consider setting up a monthly standing order through this page so that we can continue to address the most pressing needs of those who walk through our doors. Alternatively, you can send us food items through an online shop – find out how here. At the time of writing, supermarkets are struggling online too, so please get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss a safe arrangement for a drop-off at our centre.

Write to Your MP! Food banks shouldn’t exist in one of the world’s richest countries – they are a sign of gross injustice and contravene the basic human right to food. When a crisis like Covid-19 hits the UK, it should be clear to everyone why comprehensive and effective safety nets need to be in place to protect the most vulnerable in society. Not just now, but always. If enough people demand something, governments are forced to listen.   So please consider asking your MP to urgently address the root causes of the poverty driving people to food banks. You can find out how to do that here thanks to the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN). Sufra is one of IFAN’s founding partners and we are working with them to support their advocacy and campaigning work, including urging the government to mitigate the effects of the Coronavirus on children’s nutrition – especially those who rely on free school meals. Read more here.

Sufra Foodbank: Coronavirus Will Affect Services for the Most Vulnerable - Appeal for donations & changes in service

An appeal from Sufra Foodbank

The Perfect Storm for Food Banks 

A Note from the Director

It’s the last thing we need when experiencing the highest demand for emergency food aid in our history: Coronavirus.

While people are fighting over the last toilet roll in their supermarket, our donations of food from the public are dwindling, and we are struggling to purchase the food and toiletries we provide in the quantities we need. It’s likely that the situation will deteriorate further in coming days.
Aside from a host of additional hygiene measures designed to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our community, we are having to make some difficult choices about how – and if – we can run our services.

Never before in our history have we cancelled Food Bank or Community Kitchen – not even when it falls on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday. But we have now stripped back our services to ensure that we can still support the most vulnerable in a way that minimises potential transmission.

Our guests (service users) have more vulnerabilities than the average population. Many of them are refugees or asylum seekers with links to Iran, Italy and other countries which have experienced high risk of infection.

From this week, our Community Kitchen will operate on a take-away basis, meanwhile all of our advice work for food bank guests, refugees and asylum seekers will be done over the phone.

It’s likely that by next week we may need to move to Phase 2 of our action plan, which will involve shifting to a delivery-only service for the majority of our food bank guests.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. All the indications are that the UK is on the precipice of a recession, which will mean that financial donations to the charity will also start drying-up while demand for food aid rises. Add to this the impact of austerity and universal credit and you can see why this really is the perfect storm.

Families that visit food banks simply can’t afford to hoard food in the way that others have been doing in the past few days. That’s why we’re asking you to donate surplus food or toiletries to Sufra NW London (or any other food bank near you). Click here to see a list of items we need.

Please also consider making a financial donation to help get Sufra through the next few months.
Thank you.
Rajesh Makwana
Director @SufraNWLondon

Easter Appeal from Sufra NW London as Universal Credit hits families

From Sufra NW London

It’s always a busy time at Sufra. There’s lots going on this Easter weekend (see below) and we’ve got plenty to look forward to over Ramadan – including a film screening and iftar (more about that next week). And now that schools are on holiday, our young volunteers have also been hanging around, causing the usual mayhem…

Last week, whilst clearing out the chicken coop, Dahir dared Ryan to pick up and cuddle one of the chickens (he’s never had the courage to touch one before). Little did they know the chicken was about to lay an egg, which is why it was sitting in the coop. The chicken freaked out, bit Ryan’s hand and dropped a fresh egg on his new trainers.

I’m not sure whether he was more traumatised by the sight of an egg magically emerging from a chicken’s bottom or the sticky mess on his Nikes.

Speaking of which, if you would like to be part of Sami’s Chicken Club and help us look after our chickens at the weekend, please get in touch with jim@sufra-nwlondon.org.uk

Running on Empty 

Universal Credit is having a real impact on our services. In recent weeks, we’ve had a significant rise in the number of families coming to Sufra in desperate need of food and toiletries.

We were so busy last week that our stockroom shelves emptied before we could serve all our guests. We realised we don’t have enough shelf space if more than 40 families arrive in the space of a couple of hours. So, we’ve made a bit more space and recruited more volunteers.

But we also need more food and toiletries to restock our shelves.

That’s where you can help. Could you arrange a food delivery of the items we’ve run out of?

• Long Life Milk
• Tins of Tuna
• Toilet Roll
• Soap
• Baby Milk Powder
• Nappies (sizes 1-4)
• Instant Coffee
• Tinned Vegetables (any)
• Tinned Fruit (any)
• Cordial or Juice (1 litre)

Increasingly, our supporters are purchasing items online and arranging a delivery straight to Sufra. Any supermarket will do the job – and there are often voucher codes available for first time online shoppers.

The delivery address is Sufra NW London, 160 Pitfield Way, London, NW10 0PW. There is always someone around between Monday – Friday, 9.30am-6pm to receive the delivery.

Please email us to let us know when to expect any deliveries - admin@sufra-nwlondon.org.uk 

Thank you in advance.  

Get in touch with Sufra to nominate individuals or families for a Christmas dinner

A message from Sufra NW London

Would you like to refer someone or a family to Sufra NW London for Christmas Dinner? We don’t want anyone to be alone this Christmas. If you know someone or a low-income family that you would like to refer to Sufra NW London, please get in touch: admin@sufra-nwlondon.org.uk

Sufra Foodbank issues urgent van appeal - please help & join in One Tonne Fundraising Walk

From Sufra NW London

I have some tragic news.

After 5 years of loyal service, collecting and distributing the equivalent of over half a million meals, our lonf-suffering van has suffered a fatal electric failure. The cost of repair does not make it a viable investment. It is now destined for the scrap heap.

Our work is dependent on the van. It runs 7 days/week, 365/days of the year. Though it operates mainly within a 3 miles radius, it has travelled over 10,000 miles in the last year. Without it, the Food Bank might just as well close its doors.

Today, we are launching an urgent Van Appeal to raise £20,000 in the next 6 weeks. We must purchase a replacement in time for Christmas - our busiest time of the year. We simply have no choice.

So, I turn to you, to beg for your support. Please make a donation to our Van Appeal here.

The ONE Tonne Walk 

On Saturday 10 November 2018, we have a major food collection at Asda Wembley Park. How will we get 1 tonne of donated food to the Food Bank?

We will carry it by hand. 

To support the Van Appeal we are launching the most outlandish fundraising walk in history on Saturday 10 November 2018 from 1pm to 4pm. The ONE Tonne Walk will see volunteers carrying crates and dragging yellow bins full of food from Asda Wembley Park, past Brent Civic Centre and Wembley Stadium, down Harrow Road to Sufra NW London.

Along the way we will distribute Van Appeal flyers, protest against food poverty (with banners and placards!) and make a shocking racket with drums and trumpets.

Because we will #FightFoodPoverty.

We need YOU to take part in The ONE Tonne Walk on Saturday 10 November 2018. Please register here.

If you can't carry a heavy crate, you can carry a donation box. If you can't drag a yellow bin of food, you can hold a placard.

Or you can just walk in solidarity with us.

You may want to fundraise. You may just want to protest against food poverty. But together we will raise £20,000 to purchase a new van and enable the Food Bank to deliver over 100,000 meals every year - for many years to come.

Make a donation here.

Sign up for The ONE Tonne Walk here.

Together we can do this. Don't let the team down. 

 Mohammed S Mamdani
Director

Sufra Foodbank struggling to fill shelves asks for help from volunteers

From Sufra North West London

The food bank is struggling to keep up with demand and our shelves are almost empty. Help us to fill the food bank!

Volunteer with us on Saturday 10 February 2018 and Sunday 11 February 2018 for a 3-hour shift at ASDA Wembley Superstore, distributing "shopping lists" and encouraging customers to make a food donation.

We're looking for happy smiles and lots of enthusiasm. Sign up now.

Shift Timings:

Saturday 10 February 2018
- 10 am to 1 pm
- 1 pm to 4 pm
- 4 pm to 7 pm
- 7 pm to 10 pm

Sunday 11 February 2018
- 11 am to 2 pm
- 2 pm to 5 pm

Sign up HERE

Please support Sufra NW London Winter Appeal - without your help where will Khalil sleep tonight?

From Sufra NW London
 

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Last Friday, Haseena called me asking if we could help 19-year-old Khalil who had been sleeping rough for the past two weeks. A friend of a friend who worked at McDonald's had got in touch with her after noticing him picking leftovers from customer trays. I told her to send him over immediately.

Khalil tells his story in a short film here.

When I first set eyes on Khalil he was slumped against a table, his head buried in his arms. What made it worse was that he didn’t look like a 19-year-old - I wouldn't be surprised if he were actually much younger. Pulling out a chair, I sat down opposite him and asked what had happened.

Khalil is a refugee from Afghanistan, who came to this country 3 years ago with his younger brother. The siblings were orphaned when they were 4 and 6 years old. On arrival they were granted humanitarian leave and had been living with a man who was apparently their 'uncle'.

Following a dispute, the 'uncle' kicked them out of the house. His brother was taken into care, while Khalil was left to fend for himself. For the past two weeks he has been sleeping on a bench in the park, not far away from Sufra NW London.

"I sleep in the day", he said to me.

"It is too cold at night and it's dangerous." When I probed him further he told me that he was regularly propositioned for sex by seedy characters who roam the park at night.

"You have to watch carefully", he continued.

Today, we launch our #WinterAppeal to help Khalil - and others -  find refuge during these cold nights, whilst we arrange permanent accommodation. The winter months are the busiest time at Sufra NW London. Last Friday, over 70 people attended the Community Kitchen and we ran out of food!

But it isn't just rough sleepers at risk; countless families must choose between putting food on the table or heating their homes. Even a winter coat is unaffordable.

This winter, we don't want to turn anyone away. But to ensure that we can support every individual and family during the festive period and beyond, we need to raise £10,000 to maintain our emergency front-line services.

You can donate here.

Khalil was a drama student before he became homeless. He has an amazing sense of humour despite his misfortune. And he definitely doesn’t fit the (rather unfair) stereotype of a homeless guy begging for money to buy drugs or alcohol. He's desperate to work and has downloaded the Deliveroo app, but he can’t get a job until he has a roof over his head.

Without your help, where will Khalil sleep tonight?

Please open your heart and donate generously towards our #WinterAppeal here.

And finally...

If you're doing your Christmas shopping online, please use this link to direct you to your favourite retailer. A percentage of your shop will be donated to Sufra NW London. At no cost to you.

Sufra Foodbank launch Christmas Giving Calendar for children

From Sufra NW London Foodbank

Do you want to teach your children how to give and experience charity?

This year, we are publishing our Xmas Giving Calendar that is perfect for parents to encourage their children to give regularly to charity during this festive period.

Download a copy here after completing the form.

Before December, prepare a large cardboard box for your children.

Throughout the festive period, fill the box with the food items, clothing and toiletries listed on the calendar. At the end of the month, deliver your box of donations to Sufra NW London’s food bank.

We will send a certificate and present to every child who fills a collection box!

Worthwhile jobs with Sufra NW London foodbank

Fancy a worthwhile job for an extremely successful worthwhile project in Brent?

Here goes…

Office Administrator (24 hours/week) £18,000 pro-rata   To deal with the hustle and bustle at Sufra NW London’s offices, we need an extra pair of hands to help out on a part-time basis with general administration from 9:30am to 2:30pm on weekdays. Perfect for a mum or dad with parenting responsibilities. But beware: you need to be organised and thick-skinned to deal some rather impertinent characters! Deadline: 15 September 2017   For more information, click here.   Community Garden & Learning Coordinator (full-time) - £25,000 St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, our new food growing space, is almost built! In preparation for the finale, we’re looking to recruit a Community Garden & Learning Coordinator who will design and deliver a fantastic horticulture programme with lots of new courses, events and activities. The successful candidate will be an experienced gardener/horticulturalist with teaching and project management experience. Deadline: 29 September 2017 For more information, click here. Marketing & Community Fundraising Officer (full-time) - £22,000-£25,000 Keeping the food bank running throughout the year is hard work. And we want to make sure everyone knows about Sufra NW London and is able to support our work in whatever way they can. We’re recruiting a Marketing & Community Fundraising Officer to raise the profile of the charity, oversee a regular schedule of fundraising activities and build new links and partnerships with local organisations, companies and places of worship. Deadline: 29 September 2017 For more information, click here. ESOL Teacher (sessional post) Rate negotiable As part of Sufra NW London’s work in supporting newly-arrived Syrian refugees, we are looking for an experienced, Arabic-speaking ESOL teacher to deliver basic English language skills training for adults. The post will initially commence with a weekly 2-hour class on a weekday evening, with additional hours made available as the programme expands. Deadline: 15 September 2017 (but applications will be considered immediately and an appointment made in advance of the deadline if a suitable candidate is found) For more information, click here.

10,000 meals for the vulnerable this Ramadan

 From Sufra Foodbank and Kitchen NW London

 BRENT - To mark the start of Ramadan, local Muslim communities across North-West London have launched a special appeal to deliver 10,000 meals over the next 30 days to disadvantaged and vulnerable families in the local community.

      Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting, charity and penitence, when believers abstain from food and drink between dawn and dusk – which extends beyond 19 hours of the day during the summer months.

      At a cost of £1 per meal, local Muslim communities aim to raise £10,000 over the next month, which will ensure that Sufra NW London’s food bank and community kitchen can support over 500 people during Ramadan.

Donations towards the appeal can be made here.

      “We are very proud of our strong relationship with all faith communities who help to sustain the food bank throughout the year with their donations and in-kind contributions. We would like to wish our Muslim donors, friends and supporters a blessed month of Ramadan,” said Diarmuid O’Hegarty, Chair of Sufra NW London.

      Throughout Ramadan, local mosques are planning food collections, cooking sessions for the homeless and fundraising events coinciding with ‘iftar’ – the fast-breaking meal at sunset in aid of Sufra NW London.

      The charity has also launched a Ramadan Giving Calendar for children to learn about the importance of giving regularly to charity. The calendar is available here.

SUFRA offer free tickets to see 'I, Daniel Blake', at the Tricycle Cinema on December 10th

From Mohammed S Mamdani of Sufra NW London

If you haven’t had a chance to go to the cinema and watch the most coveted film of the year (give me credit, I’m trying to convince you), Sufra NW London invites you to an exclusive, private screening of “I, Daniel Blake” in the presence of the Mayor of Brent on Saturday 10th December at 10:30am at the Tricycle Theatre. Book your tickets here.

You regulularly hear my rantings about the welfare system and the reality of poverty in the UK. “I, David Blake” is a heart-wrenching drama about an elderly gentleman who suffers a heart attack and resorts to applying for government benefits.

The film follows his journey, attempting to navigate the red tape of the benefits system, alongside his new friend, a single-mother, who relies on a food bank to survive.

There’s also plenty of comedy – including Daniel’s attempt to use a computer for the first time to apply for Job Seekers Allowance. No offence to old people None taken - Martin), but trust me, it’s hilarious. And if you’re in any doubt about who is to blame for poverty in the UK or how difficult it is to survive on benefits, this film will convince you.

FREE tickets are available to all Friends of Sufra. If you’re a volunteer or a regular donor (that means you make a monthly donation of at least £5/month by standing order) you can come for free AND also invite an UNLIMITED number of guests at no cost! (We ask for a refundable deposit of £2, but that’s just to make sure you turn up. You won’t even see it appear on your debit/credit card bill). 

Book your tickets HERE using the promotional code "FRIENDS TICKET'.  We just want as many people as possible to gain an insight into how the current benefit system works.

Latest community news from Sufra Foodbank and Kitchen - get involved!

News from Sufra Foodbank

If you walk into Sufra over the next few weeks don’t be surprised to find groups of young people lounging in the foyer, raiding the fridge or hovering around the office.

This summer, we’ve truly embraced the hug a hoodie mantra - throngs of young people are volunteering for the charity in the office, warehouse and the garden. Although it does mean tolerating some questionable music blasting in the background (Hotline Bling is a particular favourite at the moment) there’s a real party atmosphere.

I’ve met some amazing young people in the last week. There’s 14-year-old Adam who knows how to code pretty much anything, 16-year-old Sami who can tell you everything about breeding quails and is insisting on setting up a chicken coop in the garden, 15-year-old Davina who taught herself Chinese (as you do) and 16-year-old Ibrahim (he’s the “runner” we spoke about last time) who turns out to be an amateur film-maker.

Summer BBQ on St. Raphael’s Estate
We’re opening up the party to the whole community!

This Saturday, 30 July, we’re throwing our third annual Summer BBQ for St. Raphael’s Estate. This year there will be no queues for burgers – Daniels Estate Agents have kindly donated a super industrial barbecue to mark the occasion. We just have to hope that Ahmed, Parminder and Iwona can cook 500 burgers in 3 hours!

Alongside the barbecue, Dina and Ros will be offering exclusive tours of St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, Brent Start will be running workshops on healthy eating, cake-decorating and puppet-making (which is what I’m looking forward to!). Ibrahim and Adam will be selling oreo and strawberry milkshakes.

Come along to savour our culinary delights and learn more about Sufra NW London.

Kew Gardens to Bournemouth

We’re really grateful to Brent Community Transport who sponsored two trips to Kew Gardens and Bournemouth for our food bank users, who would not normally be able to afford a holiday or a day out.

One very sweet lady was overjoyed after returning from Bournemouth. “It was great to have some time to forget about all the problems at home.” Very cute.

St. Raphael’s Edible Garden

If you haven’t been around to Sufra recently, you’ll be surprised to see how far the garden has come along! Yesterday I picked the first peach from our mini orchard – our first harvest. It was emotional. And rather bitter for my taste.

Over the next month we need some burly lads to dig out the pond. [Girls I think you can issue a challenge here MF] To be fair, it’s already been dug out. It just needs to be deeper. Come along on Sundays, between 10am and 2pm to help out. Sign up here.

Bottle Appeal

If you’re organising your own summer party, don’t forget to collect all your 2 litre soda bottles and drop them off to Sufra. So far we’ve collected over 100 bottles to build a greenhouse on St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, but we need over 1,500 to make sure the roof doesn’t leak!

Rui has been busy in the garden building the frame of the greenhouse, but the walls are looking rather bare. It’s a perfect excuse to overdose on sugary drinks.

Summer Academy

There are no spaces left (I did warn you to be quick), but if you want to sign up in advance for our Food Academy in September, download a Registration Form here.

Other Volunteering Opportunities:

This isn’t the most exciting role to be fair... We need some volunteers to do some data entry – there’s some with over 1,000 records to be input. I won’t try and sell it. Even I would struggle, despite all my talents. But if you want an invite to Nandos, drop me a line. You will have to work from the office, but we’re flexible on days/times.

If chicken isn’t your thing, or you’re vegetarian, you might want to sign up for our next supermarket collection.

It’s a bit early, but at least you can’t make the usual excuses of having planned a day out with friends. It’s Sat/Sun 3/4 September at Asda Park Royal. If you can flirt with customers, this is probably the right role for you. Sign up here.

And finally, I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Yours,


Mohammed S Mamdani
Director

Sufra Foodbank call for support for #FoodParcelChallenge

From Sufra North West London

If you’ve been feasting with family and friends over the Bank holiday weekend, have some pity on the 20 or so volunteers who started the #FoodParcelChallenge yesterday.

Last Sunday, Councillor Roxanne Mashari, Brent Council’s Lead Member for Employment & Skills, turned up at the food bank, alongside 22 other families in need and many volunteers, to pick up a food parcel for the start of the challenge. Together, we’re pledging to live on a typical food parcel for 5 days to raise awareness of food poverty in Brent and fundraise for Sufra NW London’s food bank.

The last financial year witnessed a 62% increase in the number of food parcels delivered, serving 3,858 people of whom more than two-thirds were unique users.

You can check out Councillor Roxanne Mashari’s daily blog on her experiences of taking part in the #FoodParcelChallenge here. Although I’m not sure I agree with her comments on Pea & Mint Soup!

The #FoodParcelChallenge seems easier that it looks. But it only hits you when you’re rummaging through the bags to see what’s for dinner. Yesterday, I had black coffee for breakfast and a biscuit, a can of baked beans for lunch and boiled rice for dinner with a tin of chick peas. And there wasn’t much of it either. You can follow our pangs of hunger and unrepentant rant on Twitter and Facebook.

But we need your help, to keep serving families in poverty and provide them with wholesome, healthy food during their time of crisis. Please support the team and sponsor us here.

The #FoodParcelChallenge will end with The Big Lunch on St. Raphael’s Estate, sponsored by Halifax and Daniel’s Estate Agents, on Saturday 30 May 2015. They’ll be a free barbecue, snacks and milkshakes, plus lots of entertainment. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

£1,000 FOR YOUR VOTE

Yes, you have until Saturday, to help us win £1,000 from the Aviva Community Fund to set up a food growing project on St. Raphael’s Estate. This will help us provide fresh fruit and vegetables at the food bank and provide new volunteering and learning opportunities for the local community.

I’m not one to keep to my 5 a day, but now that I’m doing the #FoodParcelChallenge, I would die for a carrot. Even a tomato, and I hate tomatoes.

All you have to do is click here, create a login, and give us 10 votes. Now that’s not too much to ask for, is it? We need 5,000 votes, and we’re only half-way there.

Deadline is Saturday. Do it now.

Annoying Iain Duncan Smith

Apparently this image of the true impact of Coalition policies has been annoying Iain Duncan Smith over the holiday.

Good.

It has been retweeted thousands of times on Twitter and shared on Facebook.

Please do your bit to annoy Iain Duncan Smith

Image Source www.church-poverty.org