Improving gluten-free provision in food banks

OBJECTIVE

Local Groups provide a supply of gluten-free food items to local Food Banks to give to those who need to eat a gluten-free diet.

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

  • Local Groups contact their local foodbank to arrange a meeting with the manager (or telephone conversation). A list of food banks can be found here
  • Information about how food banks work can be found here
  • If you have more than one food bank local to your Local Group, then it is up to you how you approach this. I would suggest just pick one and if you repeat this activity at some future point choose one of the other food banks.
  • At the meeting/phone call, explain that the Local Group is keen to provide food for those people who use food banks but who need to eat a gluten free diet. Enquire about how they cater for people on such a diet and have a chat about what kind of GF food the food bank requires. The food bank can usually only take long-life dry goods so using your knowledge of staple GF items that fit that criteria, make suggestions to the manager. They will look for guidance from you as much as them when discussing what type of food is required. Suggest that you will organise a collection of GF food and that you would like to arrange a drop off and arrange a time to do this. Ask also if it is OK if someone takes a photograph to be used in the local paper (it will be as I have checked already about this and foodbanks welcome PR when the local community groups support it).
  • Inform members of the Local Group about this initiative and set in place the organisation of how people can drop off their GF food contributions. Give members enough notice and guidance on what and how they should contribute. I suggest that one person acts as the drop off point (or one of your meetings acts as the drop off point) so that all the food arrives at the same time on the day chosen to deliver to the food bank.
  • On the day that has been arranged for delivering the food to the food bank, bring all the committee members and/or some local group members along with you to a) help unload the car, if needed b) see the food bank for themselves and c) to be part of a photo.
  • For the photo, please ensure someone has a good digital camera with them who can take a well framed photograph. Send the photo to Myles Fitt, Scotland Lead, and he will organise local PR coverage.
  • Consider whether you would want this to be a one-off activity, an annual activity or just something that you encourage members to do in their own time and in their own way e.g. donating some GF items in the food bank trolley in supermarkets.

Myles Fitt, Scotland Lead

0131 220 8342