FOOD SERVICE
The food service at the Good Shepherd serves as the magnet for which we can help people in poverty from the local community, creating strong relationships from which we can support them in other areas of their lives. We are fortunate to have great support from individuals, companies and faith groups who donate food, ensuring we can help the people within Wolverhampton who need us most.
We provide a free to access food service three days a week and in 2022 provided over 20,000 meals and nearly 9,000 food parcels, as well as over 3,000 visits to the Family Food Pantry. The Good Shepherd aims to provide quality and healthy food to individuals and families so that we know those accessing our services are receiving a good, nutritious meal when they visit.
FAMILY FOOD PANTRY
In 2021 we launched a family food pantry, offering a weekly shopping experience for families. Service users visit the pantry and select their own food, meaning they can choose items which they know they will use. This reduces food waste and recreates the ethos of a shop or supermarket and reduces the perceived stigma of accessing a food bank.
OUR COMMITMENT TO REDUCING FOOD WASTE
At the Good Shepherd we are passionate about reducing the amount of food waste. Over the first six months of 2023, we took in 9.5 tonnes of good quality food otherwise headed for landfill. We now weigh and record all the surplus food we receive and can tell our donors in precise terms how they have supported us and how they have contributed both to the lives of those experiencing food poverty but also the environment, in reducing the amount of food going to landfill.
OUR FOOD PARTNERS
Positive relationships with food distributors, supermarkets and restaurants helps us to reduce the amount of food waste in Wolverhampton. We can make use of surplus stock or stock with a short shelf-life to make quality meals and distribute to those that need it. We liaise closely with several other food banks in the City and regularly share stock with each other depending on need and demand within our respective organisations.
INTERVENTIONS
Whilst people are attending our dining service, we have staff who will engage with them if they are seeking further support to see if we can help or refer them to other agencies. This means we can provide additional support or see whether service users can benefit from any of our other projects or meaningful activities. Interventions can cross a huge variety of subjects, from providing financial and budgetary advice to enrolling people on our cooking classes.
COMMUNITY SHOP/CAFÉ
At the historic Queen’s Building in the City Centre, the Good Shepherd are running a shop and café project with support from Wolves Foundation and the City of Wolverhampton Council.
In return for an annual membership fee of £3, the Central Community Shop offers food at affordable prices for residents of Wolverhampton. This is designed to offer both a step forward for people who have previously accessed the Good Shepherd, and also a support to people experiencing challenges caused by the cost of living to prevent them falling into crisis.
The Pomegranate Café, launched with funding from SJOG Hospitaller Services, is a new social enterprise café from which proceeds will be invested straight back into the free-to-access food and advice services delivered at the Good Shepherd.
Both the shop and the café will also offer opportunities for volunteering and training which can help people setting out on a pathway to employment.
HOW CAN YOU HELP US?
We receive incredible support from the community whether that is from individuals, businesses, faith groups or any other organisation.
We are always on the lookout for non-perishable foods, which can be brought to us at the Good Shepherd between 8am and 2.30pm, Monday to Friday. You can also drop off donations to our one of our supermarket collection points: Sainsburys St Marks, Sainsburys Local Compton Road, Spar Compton, Lidl at Finchfield, Aldi at St John’s Retail Park and the Co-op in Great Wyrley.
Alternatively, if you wish to make a financial donation to support our food service, click here to make a contribution. Many thanks.