Whitehead Storehouse

Category: Ballycarry

Summer Economic Needs

Summer School Break

Summer is a great time for kids, no school, better weather, the chance to play outside all day with their friends. But as the school year comes to a close, it’s essential to remember that for many families, the end of classes also means the end of a reliable source of meals for their children.

During school time, many children may have a breakfast club at their school or receive free lunches, giving them nourishing food. However, when schools close for the summer, the responsibility falls on parents or guardians to provide meals, which can be difficult for those with limited financial resources.

At these times, it is helpful to contact your local food bank, Whitehead Storehouse. This covers Whitehead, Islandmagee and Ballycarry. Remember you can reach out and seek support from Whitehead Storehouse which is dedicated to helping families in food need, and committed to assisting families who may struggle to feed themselves or their children during the summer months.

This invaluable resource aims to bridge the gap and ensure that no child goes hungry during the break. By providing food aid and support, we can ease some of the financial burdens faced by families in difficult economic circumstances.

How to Access Support

If you find yourself in need of assistance getting food for your family during the summer, it’s important to know that help is just a request away. You can reach out to Whitehead Storehouse by various means, such as:

Phone: 0759 621 3763
Facebook page and messenger – Facebook search for Whitehead Storehouse
Email – whiteheadstorehouse@gmail.com

Maintaining Confidentiality and Dignity

It’s natural to feel hesitant or embarrassed when seeking help, but it’s important to remember that everyone faces challenges at some point in life. Whitehead Storehouse is committed to treating all requests with utmost confidentiality and respect. We understand the difficulties faced by families and aim to provide support without judgment, ensuring that you can access the assistance you need while maintaining your dignity.

Conclusion

No parent should have to worry about their children going hungry during the summer months. If you find yourself in a situation where providing meals becomes difficult due to financial constraints, Whitehead Storehouse is here to lend a helping hand. Reach out for support and rest assured that you will find a compassionate and understanding team ready to assist you. Together, we can ensure that your children have access to the nourishment they need to grow and thrive.

Donations To Whitehead Storehouse

Christmas 2022 Donations

We have been asked what donations can be made to the Storehouse, to help others out over Christmas. Here is a list of items that would be useful for the Storehouse to receive for Christmas deliveries, though these will be made on Thursday 16th December 2022.

Image by Ria Sopala from Pixabay

Shloer, dilute juice and morning juice.

Jams, marmalade and peanut butter.

Tins of custard, rice and fruit.

Tins of pork, ham, corned beef and Fray Bentos pies.

Tins of potatoes, carrots and peas.

Christmas puddings, chocolate puddings, mince pies and shortbread.

Selection boxes and tubs of sweets.

Toilet rolls kitchen rolls washing up liquid, soap.

Vouchers for the local shops or supermarkets.

If you feel you would like to donate to Whitehead Storehouse, please leave your donations at Whitehead Spar, Whitehead Community Centre or any Whitehead Church.

All donations are gratefully received and are used to help those in economic difficulty in Whitehead, Ballycarry and Islandmagee.

New Year 2023

Even if you cannot donate in time for Christmas 2022, there will still be an ongoing need for help in 2023, so please feel free to make donations at a later date if you wish.

Thank you everyone, for all the help you have provided in 2022.

Thank You Ballycarry Primary School

Many thanks to the pupils, parents, carers and teachers at Ballycarry Primary School who donated non-perishable items to Whitehead Storehouse to help those in difficult circumstances. All these items are gratefully received and will be used to help people in need this winter in Ballycarry, Whitehead and Islandmagee with an emergency food parcel.

Autumn is a time of harvest and gratitude for food to last through the coming winter until the new growth.

Whitehead Storehouse is very grateful to all those who donate to help them provide emergency help to local people in need.

Check Your Hearing

As part of Positive Ageing Month, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) has asked us to post some information on hearing, including a link to an online hearing test, plus information in help with hearing aids.

Or try an online test. This is not a full test but will let you check whether you need one.

Here are some more useful links on hearing from the RNID

Some info on checking your hearing aid.

Contact RNID

If you (or someone close to you) are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus and need free confidential and impartial information and support, contact RNID. We are open 8:30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

You can

Chat to us on the RNID website at www.rnid.org.uk
Call: 0808 808 0123
Email: contact@rnid.org.uk
Book a BSL video call via our partners at Sign Live: create an account at the SignLive website or download the SignLive app for Android or the SignLive app for iOS
SMS/text: 07360 268988
Relay UK: 18001 then 0808 808 0123
Write: RNID, Brightfield Business Hub, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6XU

Thank You Islandmagee Methodist Church

Islandmagee Methodist Church Harvest Festival Donations

A huge thank you to all those who donated at the Islandmagee Harvest Festival Service. The donations have been passed to Whitehead Storehouse, the independent food bank for Whitehead, Islandmagee and Ballycarry and will be kept safe, ready for emergency food supplies to be provided for those in need in the local area.

We all know that food costs have risen steeply in the last few months and that heating has become even more costly, with oil, gas and electricity prices rising sharply. For those already in difficult economic situations, the coming winter will be even harder, with some people facing thorny choices between heating and eating. Whitehead Storehouse is very grateful for all donations that will allow us to help those in short term crisis with emergency food packs that will help them over a difficult patch.

UPDATE

A very generous financial donation has also been made from the Harvest Collection by Islandmagee Methodist Church. Very gratefully received. Thank you very much.

Thank You Methodist Church Whitehead

The Methodist Church, Whitehead, Minister, Stephen Woods, held its harvest festival service on Sunday 25 September 2022, with all donations going to Whitehead Storehouse. The congregation and visitors provided a fantastic response to the call for non-perishable food to help those who would otherwise go hungry this winter. The pictures below show the amazing contributions that were transported to Whitehead Storehouse.

These will all be used to help those at economic disadvantage in the Whitehead area.

Many thanks to all those who donated or helped in any way.

UPDATE

More bags of food have since been received from Whitehead Methodist Church plus a very generous financial donation from a member of the Church, plus an offer of white goods.

Many thanks for the additional help. It will all be put to good use.

Thank You Lighthouse Bistro

Lighthouse Bistro

Grateful thanks to The Lighthouse Bistro, Whitehead, its customers and to Erica Lutzman for organising a fundraiser on behalf of Whitehead Storehouse. Over £200 was raised in the short space of 3 hours, every penny of which will go to help economically deprived residents of the local area.

With the cost of living and the cost of heating rising for everyone, this is going to be a hard winter for many, who will struggle to stay warm or feed their children. It also means that donors may well be finding the economic situation harder, so we are extremely grateful to all those who donated and of course to the Lighthouse Bistro for organising the fundraiser.

Referrals to Whitehead Storehouse

Storehouse

Whitehead Storehouse is an independent foodbank, not affiliated to the big foodbanks. We cover the Whitehead, Islandmagee and Ballycarry areas only.

Referrals

While most of our requests come from individuals in the area we cover, we can also help families and individuals in the area who have been referred by helping agencies.

We do not require any vouchers, nor do we have any set opening hours, nor waiting times for help to be provided. We do, however, liaise with other agencies in the area to ensure that our resources are shared fairly among those most in need.

If you are a member of a team or agency that helps individuals and families in the Whitehead, Ballycarry and Islandmagee areas and believe that one of your clients needs help with food, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Contact Us

We have a dedicated mobile phone number – 0759 621 3763 that you can ring or text, as well as an email – whiteheadstorehouse@gmail.com. You can also message us from our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/storehousewhitehead/ These are manned by volunteers, so may not always be answered immediately but are checked regularly.

What To Expect

We will need the person’s name and address and a contact number, so we can phone them and find out what they need and the best time to deliver. Most of our volunteers use withheld numbers to contact clients, so your client needs to know to expect a call from a withheld number or it may say “no caller ID”. The Storehouse provides only food but if a client needs other items, such as baby clothes or bedding, for instance, we may be able to suggest other groups that may be able to help.

Storehouse Resources

The food that Whitehead Storehouse supplies to people in need comes from local supermarkets and also from local donors. We are extremely grateful to all those donors for the food they give us for sharing out with those in need.

What Does Whitehead Storehouse Do

Whitehead Storehouse

Whitehead Storehouse is an independent food bank. It provides confidential help to individuals and families in urgent, emergency need of food or other necessities in the Whitehead, Ballycarry and Islandmagee areas.

What Whitehead Storehouse Does

We offer short term emergency help with food and other necessities to those in economic difficulties, with the aim of tiding them over an immediate crisis, so they can eventually leave their difficulties behind. We have helped a number of people over the past number of years. Whitehead Storehouse is not associated with any other food banks and does not have opening hours, nor do you need a referral from any other agency to contact us or to receive help. You can contact us by phone or text at 0759 621 3763 or by email to whiteheadstorehouse@gmail.com .

We also work with local large stores and supermarkets who provide us with food that has reached its sell by date but is still OK to eat. We distribute this weekly or less often, depending on what and how much is available and the calls for help that are being made.

Help is based on your needs, nothing else. We do our best to distribute our resources fairly and equitably, to help the greatest number of people possible.

If you are finding it difficult to manage financially at the moment and need help with food or other necessities, please get in touch in complete privacy by phone or text at 0759 621 3763 or by email to whiteheadstorehouse@gmail.com .

What Whitehead Storehouse CANNOT Do

We are not in a position to offer long term financial support but are happy to point you to other agencies that may be able to help if needed.

Privacy

Any help you receive from Whitehead Storehouse will be kept confidential.

Extra Food For Distribution January to March 2021

Lockdown Financial Difficulties

Many people in Whitehead, Ballycarry and Islandmagee are struggling to make ends meet because of the current lockdown. If you are in this position, please contact Whitehead Storehouse on 07596 213 763 or email whiteheadstorehouse@gmail.com. We will be able to order extra food for distribution over the next couple of months. This will be completely confidential so please do get in touch.

Keepwarm Packs

We also have some Keepwarm packs with blankets, fleeces, thermals, etc. If you feel you would benefit from one, again please contact us.

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