‘Some of the cases have been absolutely heartbreaking, really’
LIFE IN LOCKDOWN AT THE ROCK FOUNDATION’S LIFELINE FOOD BANK
LIFE in lockdown has been incredidibly difficult for many of us, but life e in lockdown whilst running a charity rity can be even harder.
For Pamela Hodge, founder and nd CEO of the Rock Foundation, the past year has been difficult, but rewarding. Their food bank on Heneage Road in Grimsby hasn’t n’t stopped since the Coronavirus panandemic began.
Pam and her team of volunteers ers have been providing food to those ose who need it most in and around nd Grimsby. Throughout the year, ear, they’ve dealt with all walks of life, from those who are homeless to people who have been furloughed and can’t afford food.
In her own words, she explained this year has been the toughest yet, seeing so many “desperate families in need of support.
“It’s been a really difficult year for us. We’ve coped with people who have lost their jobs; been furloughed or are just struggling to make ends meet.
“The pandemic has affected far more people than we ever thought it would. It hasn’t affected just one group, but all of us. Some of the cases we’ve had over the past 12 months have been absolutely heartbreaking, really.
“I remember one lady coming to us when she couldn’t afford a birthday cake for her autistic son. I felt awful for her, thankfully we received a cake in one of our donations that day and were able to help.
“She came back soon after and told us how excited he was about his cake. Not only had we helped her child on his birthday, but we’d helped her to be a proud mum.” At some points, the charity was overwhelmed with the number t of users they were helping. “Around October time, when furlough was being extended, we saw 900 families come through our doors in one week.
“At the same time, we were adapting to delivering food parcels rather than giving them out by hand and we had a number of volunteers who were off shielding. It was a very difficult time, but we stayed happy and got through it.
“I started the food bank up seven years ago because I saw there was such a need for this kind of facility and scenes like the ones I’ve seen this year have spurred me on to help anyone who’s disadvantaged. “We just want to put a smile on their faces and help where we can. Currently, we have around 450 families a week, but we’ve been coping much better with it all. The whole team have been so excited to get involved and make a difference. “Also, the generosity of the general public has been amazing, without their support we wouldn’t be able to function.
Getting quality food, especially around Christmas and Easter is so hard, but the donations from local businesses as well as individuals have allowed us to give people an extra treat.”
One example of businesses donating is local car dealership John Roe who have teamed up with Morrisons to donate 100 chickens. Matt Arliss, Group Franchise Manager, said “We’re really happy to help and be included in this project.
“In current times, we’re all affected and if we can do something to help we’re more than happy to get involved.”
For some, helping out at the food bank has more of a personal meaning. One volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous, explained “I was homeless myself for two weeks when I was between jobs and ended up on the streets.
“I know what it’s like to have nothing so I want to help other people in that situation to get through it. I’ve been here around seven weeks now and I love it.
“Pam and all the other volunteers are brilliant people and there’s no way we could run it without them.” Looking ahead, Pam spoke of getting back to normality in the other centres. “We’re hoping to reopen the tearooms in Caistor in May and get ourselves back to normal.
“I think that’s what I’ve missed most to be honest. It used to be so nice to have a coffee and a chat with some of the people who come in and use the food bank.
“We could sit, talk and find out what their problems were and point them in the right direction to fix them. With Covid, we’ve not been able to do anything like that, you have to just give the food parcel out then move on to the next person in the queue.
“Sometimes a small chat can make a huge difference, it’s surprising just how lonely some people are. “I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has donated or volunteered over the last 12 months, without you, we couldn’t have done it.”