The foodbank, Olive Branch Aid, which is supported under the aegis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, and operates from Saint Nectarios Church in Battersea, is calling for support during this Christmas period.
Formerly known as Help Us Help Others, and borne out of the Covid pandemic, Olive Branch Aid, is more than a food bank. We offer support to people to help them maintain their self-worth and dignity. We provide daily store cupboard essentials, toiletries and cleaning products as well as put people in touch with organisations that offer specialist support.
Since April of last year, the foodbank has helped to support another charity with all their weekly fresh produce so they can provide hot meals to people who are struggling; supplied bags of fresh fruit and vegetables to women’s refuge centres; supported families and elderly people on a local housing estate with parcels of food and gifts for children throughout key periods of the year; provided a phone‐buddy system for older people in the community during all lockdowns; supported 10 local non‐profit organisations with fresh produce, dry goods and household items; provided support to people who have struggled to access council support services.
Olive Branch Aid also works closely with a number of primary schools to help provide food parcels to families who might otherwise struggle to feed their children.
We have found that peoples’ needs have not diminished despite life slowly returning to ‘normal’, and now more than ever, we are calling on members of our community to support us again as we go into the Christmas season. A donation of £20 can provide a parcel of store cupboard items to help supplement a families’ or individual’s food shopping for one week.
From our base in Saint Nectarios Church, we are busy receiving deliveries of food donations and other household items, so that we can prepare food parcels for Christmas. In addition to providing store cupboard essentials, at this Christmas time, we also like to give Christmas gifts to children who might otherwise go without. To this end, we are fortunate to have the support of the Philanthropic Committee who have been busy cutting, sewing and preparing Christmas Stockings which we hope to fill with a gift.
Any donation, no matter how big or small, can go a long way to making someone’s Christmas. Would you help us? Your gift will help our foodbank continue to operate and support people in need especially during this Christmas season.
There are many ways to help: Please contact olivebranchaid1@gmail.com if you would like to donate food items or to make a gift donation, please visit our donate page https://app.investmycommunity.com/olive‐branch‐2630
Follow us on social media: www.instagram.com/olive_branch_aid/ https://m.facebook.com/olivebranchaid
