Launched in 2015, Storehouse Pantry is an evolution of Storehouse Foodbank. It is a not-for-profit partnership project which gives struggling residents in target areas, access to food and other household essentials for a small affordable weekly subscription.
Goods are supplied largely through supermarket surplus and individual donations. Households access by application to become Pantry ‘Members’. Members can attend their neighbourhood Pantry on a weekly basis. Here they receive a warm welcome, good conversation, and a range of help and support. This includes selecting items from Pantry shelves which are restocked weekly.
Membership enrolment is based on foodbank and residency criteria and is periodically reviewed on a one-to-one basis to avoid dependency and to support Members in addressing all that is creating hardship for them.
How it Works
Storehouse Pantry is an evolution of Storehouse Foodbank, providing struggling residents in target areas, access to food and other household essentials which they can select for themselves for a small affordable weekly subscription.
Households can apply to become Pantry ‘Members’. Members can attend their neighbourhood Pantry on a weekly basis. Here they receive a warm welcome, good conversation, and a range of help and support. Membership is based on foodbank and residency criteria and is periodically reviewed on a one-to-one basis to avoid dependency.
The Pantry model is about more than food. It has been a physical place where Pantry Members can receive a broad variety of services to help them address the barriers that are holding them back. Pantries are places where specialist workers can provide advice and guidance on debt and energy advice for example, or help with CV’s and finding work, help with making meals and support with rent arrears etc. Pantry Members were also able to select from a broad range of food items and other household essentials.
Storehouse Pantry has benefited from the generosity of schools, churches and numerous local businesses, organisations and individual people who donate food, both at harvest time and throughout the year. This is added to surplus food we collect from supermarkets, fast food restaurants and food-on-the-go outlets. We are very grateful to all those who continue to support our food distribution work.
Outcomes
Over the course of this year 544 households were supported (up from 328 in the previous year). Adults and children were supported on 3,136 occasions. The average size of supported households reduced slightly to 2.2.
Future Plans
We have a vision to roll-out a choice-based Pantry-style service to reach every poverty hot-spot in Bolton. Since the pandemic we are in the process of reimagining how this might be best delivered. We are continuing our work with social housing providers, churches, other community-based organisations and Bolton Council to ensure no household or community is without an emergency life-line to essential food provision.
Please use our Contact Us page to start a conversation with us about this.
