Harmony Heroes help Taunton Foodbank throughout December

2020 has been a tough year for all, but for some, tougher than they could ever imagine. At Harmony we wanted to ensure we were giving back to our local community and approached Taunton Foodbank to offer help and support throughout December. The foodbank came back with open arms – due to COVID-19 many of their volunteers were shielding and not able to get to the busy supermarkets where the overflowing food donation baskets needed collecting and delivering back to the warehouse ready for distribution.

The team stepped up to the challenge – every Wednesday throughout December Harmony are donating a team of 2 with a van to go out to 4 major supermarkets around Taunton to do just that.

Sue Weightman, Manager, Taunton Foodbank, said: “We are so pleased to have received this very timely offer from Harmony Fire. As the Christmas rush speeds up, we need to clear the supermarket collection boxes on a daily basis, thanks to our community’s generosity. Harmony Fire were able to take up the challenge of that for us on a Wednesday with their already insured vans and drivers. We are limited to the number of volunteers we can take on in the warehouse, despite the volume of clients and food, due to having to maintain social distancing and are very grateful to all who have offered us their services over the year. ”

Our team has been pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the local community.

“It was a very rewarding experience to be able to help, especially in these challenging times. The foodbank volunteers were very well-organised and informative, we were given very clear instructions, as well as ID badges and uniforms to avoid any issues when collecting food from supermarkets. It was amazing to see how much food people donate and how generous they are – it really is eye-opening to think how many people out there are less fortunate and need Foodbank’s help”. Dora Kozlak, Service Coordinator, Harmony.

Taunton Foodbank is doing amazing work in the community – everyday people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. A simple box of food makes a big difference, with foodbanks helping prevent crime, housing loss, family breakdown and mental health problems.