A day in the life of Dads House Food bank
Managed by Oliver Harris
At least 2 hours before the food bank opens, the queues start to form. By the time the shop opens, this queue can be well over 100 people strong.
The volunteers arrive 1 hour before the food bank opens and organise the produce from loose donations into balanced food groups that will feed a family for a week. The shopping centre allows for food to be delivered quickly and efficiently.
The boxes are laid out and each volunteer is responsible for including the appropriate food. In a system that Henry Ford would be proud of, many boxes are made ready in a relatively short time. This system allows a small team (from 10-20) to distribute a box every 3minutes- and up to 600 boxes a day.
The queue is single file, and masks are mandatory. The rules are firmly enforced; and the clients respect them. Only two clients are allowed in the front of the food bank at a time. The multilingual volunteers will then record their details on their register (name, age, number of people being fed, dietary requirements etc.), and give them a box of food (and sanitary products if necessary).
The volunteers also have a team that will call around supermarkets for additional food if a daily top up is necessary.
The increase in the number of patrons evidences the remarkable organisation and efficiency with which the food bank is run. The success of Elephant and Castle can be attested to three key factors:
Effective leadership. Oliver Harris’ expertise in events and his desire to run the charity following business principles has enabled the food bank to meet the increased demand.
Quality and enthusiasm of volunteers. DadsHouse welcomes volunteers and creates a welcoming environment. As a result, there are a group of highly competent volunteers who work quickly and effectively.
Popularity and respect from the patrons. The straightforward nature of the food bank, which does not require extensive paperwork, enables the speedy distribution of food. DadsHouse is particularly popular with the South American community.
Charlie Scott – Dads House Volunteer
