The Archdeacon of York, Sarah Bullock, was invited to All Saints' Church in Market Weighton to bless the People's Pantry project on Easter Sunday shortly before its official opening.
The People's Pantry project is the result of a collaboration between Market Weighton Tesco and All Saints’ Church, under the auspices of Fareshare, one of the UK’s largest charities fighting hunger and food waste.
The project has been set up in response to the recent rise in the number of low-income households in the town and facilitated by a generous donation from the Pocklington District Lions Club.
The People's Pantry receives donations of food, household cleaners and toiletries from Tesco customers, Tesco, local producers and retailers in the town, which are then made available to clients through a points system. The points system is simple; £1 for 100 points, and allows clients to use their points to buy groceries in any way that they choose from a can of baked beans for 5 points to washing up liquid at 10 points.
Clients can also enjoy tea, coffee and biscuits whilst chatting with volunteers, congregation members and clergy during their visit.
Sue Pulko, curate of All Saints, said 'the project has been a much more straightforward undertaking than I'd expected and it is a really wonderful way to help show people the love of God, and for clergy to get to know people they would not often meet.'
For more information on Fareshare please click here.