Staff from the Cheffins Haverhill office have been busy sorting donations at Reach Haverhill’s food bank warehouse as part of Cheffins’ Employee Volunteering Scheme.
Reach is an independent charity that believes in a relational handholding approach to helping families and individuals who are suffering from or struggling with the effects of financial crisis or hardship. This includes debt advice, benefit help, housing, emergency food and utility assistance and more. Reach relies completely on food donations and needs volunteers to help sort and pack the food, as well as transport it.
Christina Harris and Ryan Bourgaise of Cheffins Haverhill office were working in the food bank warehouse. Christina Harris, director at Cheffins, comments: “Apart from a part-time member of staff in the warehouse, Reach rely on volunteers to sort and pack the food, as well as transport it from the donation points and on to the food hubs. We helped sort the donations brought in by vans collecting from their food donation bins in local supermarkets, and were then involved in packing up food parcels to go to the food hubs in Haverhill for those in need.”
Staff at Cheffins Haverhill office volunteer at Reach Haverhill's foodbank warehouse
She continues: “Sadly, due to the cost of living crisis and inflation, Reach has received 50% fewer donations than last year, however the numbers of people relying on these donations has risen by 51% in a year. We were pleased to be able to help today and will continue to support Reach Haverhill with a foodbank in our office, as well as ongoing volunteering.”
Henry Wilson MBE, CEO of Reach Haverhill, adds: "We're incredibly grateful to the team from Cheffins, and for all of our volunteers for giving their time for others - we simply couldn't exist without the support of these incredible individuals and businesses who choose to give back to the local community. We rely on over 90 volunteers who support people facing financial crisis; from giving guidance and triaging calls, to helping support cooking classes, to the work the wonderful team from Cheffins have done, which has been sorting and packing food parcels. Thank you!"
The Cheffins Haverhill office will have a food donation bin in its office from 22nd March for staff and locals to donate, and the team will continue to volunteer throughout the year. For further information on the charity, how to donate or volunteer, please click here.