London, April 16, 2024
Photo: orthodox-europe.org
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God and the Royal Martyrs in London has been providing food to refugees and the needy since December 2022.
The cathedral’s food bank provides free boxes of enough food to feed a family for two weeks. The month of April has seen increased activity, and it’s expected that 2,000 boxes of food will be delivered to those in need this month, reports the ROCOR Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe.
“The vast majority of the recipients are Ukrainian refugees, in need on account of the terrible war in their homeland; but there are also many other recipients finding themselves in need on account of the current cost-of-living crisis and other causes,” the diocese explains.
Over the weekend, a team of 19 volunteers set a new record for the food bank by packing and distributing 92 food boxes in just two days—“a testament to our church’s unwavering commitment to service,” said Reader Simon Tingley, the food bank’s lead organizer.
He further stated:
We were filled with excitement as we welcomed new families in need, as well as new volunteers and generous donors to the food bank. Over 200kg of loose products, including oats, lentils, split peas, sugar, and flour, were generously donated.
We also received a substantial amount of long-life food funded by new and established donors with sacks of loose products pasta and jam, from a kind-hearted bakery in London.
In response to the requests from families for more fresh food, we are currently in negotiations with a head office of a large supermarket to donate their surplus fresh fruit and vegetables. This is an exciting new development.
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