PCSO Jodie helps keep estate’s vulnerable fed
ACOMMUNITY police officer has arranged for hundreds of hot meals to be provided to vulnerable residents in central Rochdale.
Jodie Barlow, Police Community Support Officer for the College Bank and Lower Falinge Estates, has teamed up with staff and volunteers at Khau Galli, an Indian restaurant in Royton, Oldham, to donate the free meals.
The officer said welfare concerns were now forming a major part of her work on the estates during the ongoing coronavirus crisis and that the fresh meals were going down a treat with residents in need.
Jodie struck up a conversation with restaurant owner Kamal Rob after responding to a social media post by the restaurant offering free meal boxes to key workers, emergency workers and vulnerable residents during the pandemic.
She said: “I cheekily asked how far they would donate to and they said only local. I thanked them for their kindness and said, ‘it doesn’t matter then because we are in Rochdale.’ They replied back straight away and said no problem!
“I was put in touch with Kamal and we took it from there. I explained my role and asked if they would donate approximately 75 meals to distribute on a one time basis to my most vulnerable on my estates.
“Kamal asked exactly how many residents do I have, and I said approximately 800, and I certainly didn’t expect what came next - he pledged me 800 meals over 8 weeks!”
Jodie and her team have now made several weekly visits to the restaurant to collect 100 meal boxes on Wednesday evenings from volunteers, before delivering them to residents at the estates, as well as several residents of a nearby men’s asylum accommodation complex.
Jodie said: “This week’s food delivery was a particular hit with me receiving phone calls from grateful residents and agencies alike complimenting us all on the fantastic food provided by the restaurant.”
She added: “With the current health crisis the majority of jobs my colleagues and I are dealing with on the estate are welfare concerns, whether it be drink, drugs, mental health, debt, referrals, sign posting and even making crumpets for my extremely grateful 73-year-old Tutsi tenant.”
Jodie and her team are due to make more trips to the estates over the next few weeks to continue delivering meals from the restaurant, which has prepared and donated more than 9,000 meals to those in need during lockdown so far. ex-Ugandan