The Guinness Partnership highlights food insecurity with day of action
Food insecurity is a challenge facing many communities across the UK today and The Guinness Partnership has teamed up with Harmony Fire and charity partner the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) to support struggling households.
A team of volunteers from Harmony Fire gathered for a day of action to assemble over 1,600 individual food parcels that will then be distributed to households across the UK. The food parcels contain core food staples to support a family of four for a minimum of two days, as well as helpful recipe information.
Following an outstanding effort by the volunteers, The Guinness Partnership received 150 food parcels, which have been distributed to three food banks, community organisations and distribution centres across England. Recipients of food parcels include Milton Keynes Food Bank.
Giles Holley, Partnership Director at Harmony Fire commented: “There are many reasons why households can encounter food insecurity, and the impact can be immediate and devastating for adults and children. Family circumstances can change rapidly and working together with The Guinness Partnership to lend our collective support to those organisations that step forward and provide a lifeline and immediate assistance to those in need is a cause we passionately support.
“The food parcel initiative is designed to give hope, warm food and sustenance, and remove the potential stigmatism associated with food insecurity as parcels can be discretely delivered to where they are needed the most. This is just one of the many ways that The Guinness Partnership is actively supporting frontline communities across England.”
Brian Hamlin, Senior Community Partnership Manager at The Guinness Partnership, added: “Food poverty has been prevalent in the Sheffield communities we serve for many years, and this is what led us to set up the Pantry Project. The whole ethos is to support people and while emergency food assistance is available, the Pantry also helps people learn about managing their finances, provides healthy cooking advice and classes and increases opportunities for socialising. Food is where it starts, but this is a pathway to improving overall wellbeing and independence.”