Stafford Foodbank : House of Bread. We pay them a visit to find out about the good work they do.

Express & Star

House of Bread have been active feeding those less fortunate in the community for a number of years. We visit to find out more.

Transcript

00:00We're at House of Bread in Stafford and it's a food bank of a different kind, isn't it Will?

00:05Yeah, brilliant.

00:06It's a cafe kind of vibe going on in here.

00:08It's a completely holistic approach to supporting the vulnerable and homeless in the community.

00:13So you're right, we do a food bag, we do toiletries, furniture, it's all about the food.

00:17The family eats together, stays together, very much part of our mantra.

00:21So we support people at their point of crisis to see if they want to make a difference and want to change.

00:26And if they do, that's a wonderful journey to have.

00:28And if they don't, we just support them.

00:31So you've had a class in here earlier making bread.

00:34We have. Everybody makes two loaves of bread.

00:36The loaves they've just made, one of them is to keep themselves,

00:38the other one is to give away to somebody else.

00:41And a profound ability to give to other people is amazing.

00:45So what would you say to those people who kind of, how can I put it,

00:50who think, oh the people going to them food banks, you know,

00:52just want to sort themselves out, get a job.

00:54You know, that kind of attitude and mentality.

00:56The stories you must have coming through here,

00:59like you say, they're people that are starting from rock bottom, aren't they, in life, some of them.

01:03Nobody woke up this morning and said I want to be an alcoholic or a drug addict.

01:07Everybody who comes here comes for a reason and it's not for us to judge.

01:11So we just welcome everybody and that is key to why we do what we do.

01:18And how many people do you kind of support here, do you think?

01:21So I suppose in a typical week you'd have 120 people plus who would come into the cafe

01:26and that doesn't include the people who are referred into us for food bags from other agencies.

01:30So on a typical week we could be helping between 400 and 500 people in various different ways.

01:36Yeah and we must stress it is that cafe vibe but it is, you know,

01:40people are coming in here and you're supporting them for free.

01:43They're coming into this cafe vibe and eating for free.

01:46Yeah it's a pay as you feel concept.

01:48Yes we get people who come in and would like to pay something

01:50and we get people paying it forward so they come in and buy somebody else a coffee.

01:54But in principle you come in, it's all entirely free.

01:57All the food that we've been talking about is all provided to us as free food and not wasted,

02:03which is incredible.

02:04And some of the people donating, you've got a few corporates to mention.

02:08Yeah so we've got all the supermarkets you can imagine and it's amazing

02:13and all private individuals who drop things off, different people who make cakes for us.

02:18It is an extraordinary collection of people and businesses

02:22and the wider community that keep us in food.

02:24And how long has House of Bread been doing what they do then?

02:27Okay we started in 2010 and we've continued for that 14 years.

02:32Yeah and do you find that you'll have people coming through your doors

02:36like once or twice then not see them again or do you find that it's like a regular thing?

02:40That's a very good question. We have regular customers who we see every day

02:43and we have people that we see periodically who disappear.

02:46They might be that they need to spend some time in prison for example.

02:51But it's about needing us when they want to.

02:53So when they're okay and they're back in the community then they don't need us

02:58and then that's why they don't see them.

02:59But we're always available and our door is always open.

03:02And volunteer wise have you got enough people here helping

03:06or are you always kind of you know welcoming more?

03:08We always need more. It's about quality not quantity.

03:12So yeah volunteer either with us or somewhere local to you.

03:16It's important we rely on volunteers and all food banks and similar operations will rely on volunteers

03:22and the community is what keeps us going and keeps the inclusion so that everybody feels welcome.

03:28How many people do you have working and volunteering here for you?

03:31We've got two members of staff who are paid.

03:33Yeah.

03:34And about 150 possibly even more volunteers and some of them work remotely.

03:38So I work with people all around the world doing things to create what needs to make the cafe happen.

03:44And you're a man of faith. Is that where this kind of drive comes from to help others?

03:48It does. I came to faith about 2010 and part of my journey was to understand the vulnerability

03:56and to understand what homeless is all around and to support people in that moment of crisis.

04:01Because not everybody wants to change their entire life but it's about welcoming all

04:06and we like to think that that mantra is exactly where Jesus would be.

04:10And in terms of the build-up to Christmas will it be busier, quieter? How does that play out?

04:15It goes mad from today basically and it's amazing and it's brilliant

04:19but it is all about quality not quantity.

04:21So if you're thinking I can only donate a tin of beans,

04:24that tin of beans will make an enormous difference.

04:27So it's not about quantity, it's about the gift.

04:29There's a play in the Manor's Kitchen that we ran to.

04:32Oh yeah, there is.

04:33And so she was saying about what they do and she said

04:36some of the stories you've got people coming in here who have kind of been born

04:41into houses of addiction and so on but this place when there's people in here

04:45it's full of laughter really, there's a lot of fun here.

04:47It is, the predominant sound when you come in is just that feeling of love,

04:51that feeling of hope and encouragement and we create that in order for everybody to feel at home.

04:59The family that eats together stays together, that's a biological family or just friends

05:03and that's critical to why we can reach out and create that vibe of hope for everybody.

05:10And you were saying that kind of safe space that you've created here

05:13that enables other departments,

05:16people that come here that perhaps wouldn't go to places like DWP and places of that ilk,

05:21you know, it's all a bit official and a bit formal and scares them off.

05:24Yeah, you're right, it's a bit too formal, too many lanyards and laptops.

05:28We like to meet you, have a coffee with you, have a donut with you

05:31and then maybe ask the question as to what it is that you need help with

05:34or would you like some help and once we've made that bridge,

05:37that sort of leap over to having the conversation about your needs,

05:41that enables us to explore how we might be able to help.

05:45Particularly nice corner here, what's going on here then?

05:47So this is our good friends from B&Q in Stafford

05:50and they did a corporate social responsibility day.

05:52We came in and five of them and spent about four hours

05:55and they basically turned our courtyard garden from what is a bare space

05:59to this beautiful multicultural miracle.

06:03Well done B&Q.

06:04Awesome.

06:05So you've got an army of freezers down here working away then

06:09and there's even a haggis hiding in one of these.

06:14So, I mean, because I guess fresh food, frozen food,

06:18is that the trick you want to kind of master?

06:20It is and what we do every day is prepare a meal which is freshly made.

06:24So we need the best, the most high protein that we possibly can,

06:28good quality food because most of the friends that we work with

06:32either are not eating hot food or they're just cooking out of the microwave.

06:35So we want to give them something warm and nutritious.

06:38Yeah.

06:38So you've got an army of freezers down here working away then

06:42and there's even a haggis hiding in one of these.

06:47So, I mean, because I guess fresh food, frozen food,

06:51is that the trick you want to kind of master?

06:54It is and what we do every day is prepare a meal which is freshly made.

06:58So we need the best, the most high protein that we possibly can,

07:01good quality food because most of the friends that we work with

07:05either are not eating hot food or they're just cooking out of the microwave.

07:09So we want to give them something warm and nutritious.

07:11Yeah.

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