Doing food together: An invitation to all churches
Churches urged to open more Pantries
Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith"
Churches across the UK are being urged to consider opening food Pantries, as a way to strengthen their neighbourhoods and build local hope.
The Your Local Pantry network has 121 Pantries across the UK, but knows churches are ideally placed to host more and is inviting church leaders to commit to opening a Pantry in 2025.
Last week, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, visited InterAct Pantry in Meanwood, north Leeds, and talked with members and volunteers about the impact it has locally. The Pantry is run by a charity made up of Anglican, URC, Baptist and Methodist Churches.
Bishop encourages churches to get involved
Bishop Nick said: “What’s really impressive is that we recognise that food isn’t just for eating – we commune around food. So whether people are collecting food or eating food together, it’s a social event. It goes to the heart of the Christian faith as well, this is what we do all the time.
“I would encourage churches to consider how they might be engaged and involved in this. We need to remember, Jesus said we will be judged by whether we visit the sick, feed the hungry, give drink to those who are thirsty and so on. You can!”
Your Local Pantry’s recent Places Of Hope report found that Pantries had saved members £10.5 million in the past two years, and showed that they were bringing a wide range of community benefits, such as improved health, reduced isolation, and enhanced access to other opportunities and services.
Church Pantries reach almost 60,000 people
Church Action on Poverty, which coordinates the network, is now able to provide a breakdown of the figures for church-based Pantries.
Of the 121 Pantries in the network, 73 (60%) are hosted by or supported by churches or Christian charities. The first Pantry in a church opened five years ago this November, in Birmingham, and since then church-backed Pantries have been visited 362,300 times, supporting 59,800 people in 22,700 households. (If all Pantries are counted, church and non-church, those figures rise to 691,700 visits, supporting 121,800 people in 44,100 households).
Pantries are a perfect fit for pantries
James Henderson, network development coordinator for Church Action on Poverty, says: “Pantries are all about dignity, choice and hope. They are a perfect fit for churches who want to cement their role in their community, and who want to help make change happen.
“Many churches have spaces that lend themself to Pantries, but also an abundance of compassion and potential volunteers. If any church is wondering how to use food as a gateway to hope, we’d love to hear from you.”
Pantries bring vast community benefits
The entire Your Local Pantry network has saved members £5.76m in the past year, and £10.5m in the past two years – but the benefits go far deeper. Research has shown that 83% of Your Local Pantry members say it has been good for their mental health; 74% feel more connected to their local community; 66% have made new friends; and 63% now eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Pantries also have an average of 15-20 volunteers each,
Pantries are also increasingly about ongoing social transformation, with many members this year becoming involved in local democracy, social campaigns, and art projects.
Anyone interested in opening a Your Local Pantry should email info@yourlocalpantry.co.uk
One church’s story
North End Baptist Church in Portsmouth ran a food bank which had supported around 10,000 people in the five years up to 2020, and when the pandemic struck the level of local need soared. Covid changed the way the team worked, but it also prompted some reflection. Was this the right approach, or was there a better way?
Jo Green, one of the Pantry managers, says: “We spoke to schools and other organisations. They were telling us they had families who needed help but who would not go to a food bank because of the stigma. It made us wonder what we could do.
“Our minister, Tracey, knew someone who ran a Pantry and we looked at a couple, and decided that becoming a Pantry was the way forward. We closed our food bank at the start of April 2021, and three weeks later we opened as a Pantry. The stigma has certainly reduced. We have a lot of families now and we are finding that people really value it more because they are paying towards it.
“We want to reach people in the area and build relationships. With a Pantry, people come back every week and start opening up and you hear how much it means to people. We are a church so we can direct people in the church to the Pantry, and also let Pantry members know about other things like the toddler groups.”
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