COVID-19

PUBLIC INFORMATION BULLETIN ON COVID-19
PROCEDURES FOR FAVERSHAM FOODBANK

Faversham Foodbank is here to help people in emergency situations who cannot afford to buy food. We are committed to remaining open to our clients for as long and as safely as we can during the current health emergency. We have obviously had to make some necessary adjustments to our normal way of working to comply with guidance and advice from HM Government and the NHS.

We have a responsibility to care for our staff and volunteers and many already fall into the category requiring some distancing or even isolation. So we are operating with fewer staff and have changed how we operate to cope with that. This means that clients may experience more of a wait to be served but rest assured we will do our very best to make sure everyone that needs help gets it.

We also need to guard against the system being abused so we are restricting service, as far as possible, to clients with properly authorised vouchers from our partner agencies such as Citizens Advice and Age UK.

Clients attending the Foodbank will see a difference from now on. We will be operating to reduce or eliminate physical contact and close proximity and to provide handwashing facilities. We hope these will be seen as both sensible and necessary and in everyone’s interest. We also think it will help us to remain open longer for the people who need us.

We are still gratefully accepting donations to our collection points in supermarkets and elsewhere in the town and, so far, the kind people of Faversham and the surrounding villages are being very generous. We will keep our Facebook page as up to date as we can in terms of the items we are most in need of.

We thank everyone for their support and thoughtfulness and ask for your patience if it takes a little longer than normal to respond to your enquiries. We will be keeping this all under review as the situation continues to develop.

Stay safe everyone,

Faversham Foodbank Team

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, we realise that some clients are finding it difficult to get Foodbank vouchers.

Please try to contact:

West Faversham Community Association 01795 537321 this may well be an answer phone – also see their Face Book page (Covid-19 Community Response Hub in Faversham)

Faversham Citizens Advice – The office is closed but vouchers can be obtained by remote referral ring 0344 848 7978 leave a message on the answerphone and you will be rung back. Reply calls will be made from a withheld number as staff are working remotely.

Age UK – Faversham 01795 532766 – may be an answering machine.

Faversham Salvation Army – ring 07771045382 or PM on their Facebook page

If you are a parent with a school age child, most Primary schools have Foodbank vouchers, contact the School Office.

 

Please try to observe social distancing at all times