News / FareShare South West
New campaign hopes to build stockpile of emergency food
A new campaign hopes to build a stockpile of emergency food with the infrastructure to deliver it to critical frontline organisations this winter.
FareShare South West’s FoodStock 2020 will source food from across the food industry at scale, aiming to build a stockpile big enough to distribute food for one million meals in just three months.
It will be housed at the Bristol-based food charity’s secondary warehouse near Ashton Gate Stadium, a space that was formerly used by Dreams Beds.
is needed now More than ever
FareShare South West CEO, Julian Mines, said: “The move now to amass a stock of ambient food and begin planning the logistics of redistributing is essential to make sure our city and wider region does not go hungry in the difficult winter months ahead.
“We’re not waiting until a full lockdown hits or until demand spikes to astronomical levels. We’re preparing now.
“Whilst we hope the economic fallout and impact of a second wave are not as catastrophic as some predict, we’d be naïve not to prepare for that.”
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FareShare South West expanded their capacity by five in March to meet a sudden need at the start of lockdown, thanks to temporary infrastructure afforded by a number of organisations, funders offering temporary support and by financial donations from the public.
Mines said the charity now needs to ensure that they have the funds, infrastructure and resource to keep people fed.
He said: “This time around we must be more strategic, coordinated and targeted to make sure those in the most critical situations are prioritised, and we want to go further in serving and supporting frontline groups.
“We’re relying on the power of Bristol – a city brimming with care and compassion – to come together to help us get this centralised emergency solution to the food insecurity we anticipate, off the ground.”
FareShare is not looking for donations of food but instead for funding and volunteering.
Their new warehouse space will centralise food parcel packing for Bristol and the wider region, allowing food to go to organisations and initiatives of all sizes.
To find out more and donate to FoodStock 2020, visit www.faresharesouthwest.org.uk/foodstock-2020
Main photo: FareShare South West
Read more: Cooking up a storm during FareShare South West’s Big Breakfast Week
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