My name is Johanna Derry Hall and I’m a freelance journalist and editor. I write a lot about food – trends, producers, people who make things. I think food is one of the greatest joys of life, so I hate the idea that for some people it’s a constant struggle to have enough to buy food to eat. I live in Camberwell, just up the road from the Brixton branch and have been volunteering every three weeks on Saturdays for about 8 years. Before that I volunteered at a food bank on the Roehampton estate in Wandsworth for three years or so – it’s a cause that’s been close to my heart for a long time. I’m a session lead at Brixton on Saturdays and it’s one of the best things I do – I love the diversity of people I meet on a Saturday morning and hearing their stories – there’s no ‘food bank type’, hard times can happen to us all. Sometimes there are tears, and it’s hard to hear how people struggle; but often there’s a lot of joy and laughter. I find nothing more satisfying than discovering one of my team is fluent in a language one of our guests speaks so we can help them more easily, and pulling out a food item that I know will make their day because it’s their favourite thing. I also run Brixton food bank’s Twitter feed (yes it’s my fault…) where we try and communicate what we do and what we need, and share news so that our supporters and people locally know what we’re up to. As much as possible I try to make this fun! We ran a really successful ‘what should you donate’ daily quiz before Christmas that got a lot of love. Right now, it’s really important as people are asking lots of questions about how they can help and get help because of Coronavirus. Food is so much more than fuel – it’s hospitality, community, and simple joy. To know you’re cared for and listened to is just as important as knowing you will be fed.I believe that’s what we give to people at food bank too – help, warm words, and an all-encompassing welcome.
|