LOCAL SERVICE
LOAVES AND FISHES FOODBANK
Service is about showing up for others, whether that is donating, giving time, or simply being willing to listen.
Throughout the year, the Local Action Group have volunteered at the Sevenoaks Loaves and Fishes Foodbank and organised collections for the local community.
At the foodbank, we helped behind the scenes to ensure efficiency, by sorting donations and displaying the products. Through interacting with others, we helped to foster a sense of community and create a welcoming atmosphere. Meanwhile, at school, we have organised three significant drives this year for the community. Before Christmas, the food drive provided essential supplies to many local families. The hygiene drive, in the Lent term, supported hygiene banks in the area. Finally, during the Summer term, we ran a stationery drive to help to ensure all students in local primary schools had access to sufficient stationery. Throughout these projects, we had the pleasure to observe the remarkable generosity within our school to donate and help those in need.
Foodbanks are crucial to provide individuals and families facing hardship with not only access to food and sustenance, but also a sense of community and warmth. As the cost of living continues to rise, foodbanks have become a lifeline for many households, helping to prevent hunger from becoming a widespread crisis. Through promoting health and stability in vulnerable populations, they relieve pressure on public services, such as healthcare and social welfare. Additionally, they boost sustainability through partnering with supermarkets and farmers to redistribute surplus food that might otherwise go to waste.
Through both volunteering at the foodbank and organising collections, our group has learned the power of collective action. Throughout each drive, the importance of communication, coordination and collaboration prevailed, whether in promoting the initiative or sorting the supplies. First-hand experience of volunteering at the foodbank showed us how even small acts can make a big difference in other peoples’ lives. Ultimately, this year, we learned that service is about showing up for others, whether that is donating hygiene products, giving time to help and pack supplies, or simply offering a kind word and a willingness to listen.
We would like to thank Ms Seetharaman and Mr Henry for their support and encouragement throughout the year. Their guidance has helped make our work possible, and we are very grateful.
Edie Digney, Lower Sixth
58 SERVICE AND PARTNERSHIPS