A page from the Trussell Trust
Here are some ways that your church can support your local food bank and get involved in working with us towards an end to the need for food banks in the UK.
1. Organise a food collection
Food banks in our network rely on donated food to enable them to provide emergency food supplies to people in crisis. You could organise a home-based collection point to enable your church and local community to support your local food bank in a coordinated and socially distanced way.
You can find your nearest Trussell Trust food bank using the map here. Check the social media or website of your local food bank to find out about their specific needs and the best way to drop off your church’s donation.
If you would like to do this, please email us at foodbanknetwork@trusselltrust.org, including the name and postcode of your church, and the name of the food bank you plan to donate to, and we’ll send you a step by step guide together with posters and social media resources to help you do this.
2. Pray
We would love your church to support us in prayer at this time.
The Trussell Trust team, like the dedicated teams of staff and volunteers who make food banks happen across the country, is made up of people from a variety of faith and non-faith backgrounds. Our work is based on, shaped and guided by Christian principles, and for lots of food bank staff and volunteers, prayer is an important way of seeking guidance, being resourced for action and bringing about change.
We’ve prepared some prayer resources here which can be used for personal prayer or shared with a group.
You can also download a Powerpoint version of the prayer resources here for use in online church services, prayer groups or in other settings.
3. Signpost
Churches can help people in financial crisis access the support they need by putting them in touch with their local Citizens Advice centre who will be operating a telephone support service. This will ensure they can be referred to a food bank, and at the same time be supported to access any government benefits they are entitled to.
If your church is already a food bank referral partner you can of course continue to refer people directly.
4. Speak out
We believe it is our responsibility to seek justice and challenge the drivers of poverty, as well as to respond compassionately to people who are in crisis. One way to speak out about this is to write to your MP asking them to make real change. Find out more about our campaign.
5. Sign up
We will be releasing more resources for churches over the coming months, including small group discussion guides, video clips, and sermon resources. If you’d like to be kept in touch as these become available, please sign up here.
