I’d have had nothing to eat if it wasn’t for this food bank
CHARITY REOPENS TO HELP THOSE IN NEED
A DERBY man says he would have nothing to eat without the help of a recently-reopened food bank.
Derby Crisis Response, in Lowerdale Road, has been open “on and off” over the past three years, but reopened its doors this month to help the people of Normanton.
David Sone, one of the people who regularly use the food bank, said that without the organisation’s help he would be starving.
He said: “I don’t get a lot of money, being unemployed, and coming here helps me out because I’ve got to pay for gas, electric, and all the household bills. By the time I’ve done that I’ve got barely any money left so this is a big, big help.
“If I didn’t come to places like this I wouldn’t have food to eat.”
David was very complimentary of the staff at the food bank, saying: “This one’s the best one, all the staff are polite and kind. At some places they can be a bit offish.”
David collects food for himself and his partner, who suffers from a back problem and cannot go with him to get the food they need.
“I share everything. If I get three doughnuts, it’s one for you, one for me and we cut the other in half. We share everything.”
When we visited the food bank, David had been queuing since 3.55pm, waiting for it to open at 6pm. He said that it helps a lot of people in the community. “There’s people here that can’t go shopping, can’t buy the food they want because they’ve not got the money to buy it with. It’s helpful for everyone.”
Baz Jabbar, who runs Derby Crisis Response and has been a community worker for ten years, said: “When Covid kicked in I realised it wouldn’t just be a health issue. Food poverty is a direct result of Covid.
“A lot more people find themselves in a position where they need to ask for help than ever before.”
The food bank works with local supermarkets, including Morrisons, Tesco and the Co-op, to provide food to members of the community in need.
It also receives food from other community worker for ten years and runs local businesses and members of the public. Mr Jabbar said: “The community support has been immense too. We get hundreds of kilograms of stuff from the community.
“To make this a community project it’s about getting them involved. A store next to us provides us with a lot of fresh products, and Pak foods and Sharif and Sons provide us with stuff too.”
Mr Jabbar wants to encourage more volunteers to join and says that the food bank always welcomes more donations.
Derby Crisis Response is also helping Derby’s homeless. Mr Jabbar said: “We have a homeless project as well. We go to homeless shelters and go out and about ourselves to see if there are homeless people we can assist.”
One homeless man, who did not want to be named, said: “They gave
David Sone has been using the food bank for two months me food for a few days without any thought. God bless them.”
Derby Crisis Response, which received its five-star hygiene rating last week, is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm. It operates from 110a Lowerdale Road, Derby, DE23 6WZ.
Anyone in need of food in the area is welcome and Mr Jabbar estimated the food bank gets more than 150 visitors across the two days.
A MOTHER and her two sons have been arrested after alleged stolen items were found in a car.
Thee were arrested by officers from Derbyshire police in Ilkeston on Monday, after they received information a silver Kia they were travelling in had allegedly been involved in a burglary.
They had been tracked from Nottinghamshire and were observed crossing the border into Derbyshire.
Once the vehicle had made its way into the county, officers from the Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit and Derbyshire Road Crime Unit descended on them.
Details were revealed on the Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit Twitter page on Monday night.
It said in a tweet: “Ilkeston. Report from Nottinghamshire Police that this vehicle involved in a burglary. Stopped with Derbyshire Road Crime Unit.
“Mother and her two adult sons from Stoke-on-Trent in the vehicle along with stolen iPad, PlayStation 5 and other items. All arrested.”