The 35,000 people who use a network of church-run food pantries in the UK are saving up to £1000 a year on groceries, research from Church Action on Poverty has found.
The findings, which also suggest that the scheme improves mental health and well-being, are set out in the social-impact report Your Local Pantry: So much more! published on Tuesday — the day that the network opened its 100th pantry in Aylesham, Kent.
Members of Your Local Pantry, co-ordinated by the charity Church Action on Poverty, pay a set fee of between £3.50 and £7 a week for ten grocery items of their choosing from their local pantry. Items are colour coded to promote a balanced diet.
These pantries are often held in church buildings and set out like a regular supermarket — different to a foodbank. This system works on the values of “dignity, choice, and hope”, including by reducing the stigma of asking for help, the report says.
Food pantries offer all-round benefits, Church Action on Poverty finds https://t.co/Mh0bmMLsF0
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 19, 2023