Over the past few weeks we've received dozens of offers from local businesses to provide food after sharing an appeal for help on our charity’s Facebook page.
After running low on stocks in our kitchen due to feeding patients throughout the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we called for assistance in providing those in their care with meals.
Staples such as rice, beans, fresh vegetables and a sweet treat or too were asked for, to help keep patients well nourished and cheerful.
Immediately after posting our charity was flooded with great suggestions from supporters online and practical help from local businesses. It's helped keep patients nourished, staff morale high and stocks full.
Operations Manager Oisín McKeown said:
“We’re massively grateful for the support from businesses around Sussex. The offers of donations or reduced costs came in so quickly that we were soon completely stocked up. Many of our regular providers managed amazingly, prioritising our patients and team. We also got lots of help from new partners and donors, who we’d like to say thank you to for their help averting a potential problem.”
We're grateful to all those who donated. It has allowed us to keep our doors open to those living with HIV throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We now have sufficient stock to last throughout the foreseeable crisis.
The team here at the Beacon would particularly like to thank UKHarvest, who have donated consistently high quality food stock for 3 years. They were able to maintain this during the COVID-19 crisis. UKHarvest also donated a freezer to us when they first contacted the Beacon to help with long term storage. This has been vital in the last few weeks.
The Sussex Beacon is also grateful to Fareshare, who prioritised the team at this busy and hard time, when they were struggling to get reliable service from their providers.
The team at the Longshore Pub also offered food items and help at this tough time.
We would also like to thank the many other businesses and community groups who offered to contribute to the Beacon, including a service user who helped set up a connection with a local community group.
The Sussex Beacon team, volunteers and patients are all hugely grateful to the hardworking staff and management of these businesses.
