Fill a bag with hope!

“Remember the poor.” – Galatians 2 v 10

Here at Stour Valley Vineyard our biggest compassion ministry is that of our foodbank Storehouse.

In the last 11 years, we have watched Storehouse grow from being run out of our Pastors cellar, into it now having its own section of the new Vineyard Centre. On Sunday 14th October we plan to spend some time remembering some of the amazing things God has done within our community through Storehouse, and discuss how there are even more amazing things to come! We are watching connections within our area forming in front of our very eyes. This August we fed 60% more people than we did the previous August.

We will see you there!

September 24, 2018 in event, news, news & events, news and events, Storehouse by andrew

Stour Valley Vineyard Church has been presented with a Working Together Award and been handed a cheque for £3,500 by Suffolk Community Foundation for achieving outstanding outcomes through its collaboration and partnerships in Sudbury.

Working with strategic partners such as social services, CAB, housing trusts, local churches and other voluntary organisations, each year it gives out hundreds of emergency food bags to local families and individuals in crisis.

Storehouse Foodbank began in 2007 after the church received a phone call from youth social services asking for help with a young homeless person sleeping rough. Storehouse usage was up 62% more in 2015 than in the previous year.

Through a team of volunteers and weekly drop-ins, it also provides a listening ear and a bridge to receiving further help. One of those other ways is with CAP Money, a free three-week course, to help people manage their finances without fear. It also has plans to expand its services.

Councillor Sarah Stamp, Suffolk County Councillor’s Cabinet Member for Communities, along with Andrea Pittock, Suffolk Community Foundation’s Grants Manager, presented the cheque to Senior Pastor Andrew Stewart-Darling and Storehouse Team Leader Rita Pennington at their church offices at the Christopher Centre in Gainsborough Street, Sudbury.

Councillor Stamp said, “I have visited and been privileged to present some fantastic awards to community groups across Suffolk who have shown exceptional collaborative working.”

The Award is financed by Suffolk County Council and managed by Suffolk Community Foundation offering awards up to £10,000 to charities, community groups and not for profit organisations working in Suffolk.

Senior Pastor, Andrew Stewart-Darling says, “We are incredibly humbled and honoured to receive this recognition. Through a dedicated team of volunteers from the church, support from ‘business angels’ and local groups, we’re able to see many families in crisis walk out two inches taller from when we first meet them. This is reward in itself.

“The Working Together Award is timely because Storehouse Foodbank needs continual support with its overheads and running costs. But it needs more than food, so if anyone is able to financially support our work in the community, we’d really love to hear from them. Our community continues to be hugely generous with food donations, but the costs for the food bank’s sustainability equally needs supporting. Every £10 really does help.

“But we also now have another urgent need. We desperately require new premises for food storage as well as office space, if possible. We have been hugely grateful to a local business for our current warehouse space, but, sadly, that will no longer be available to us very soon. So we’d love to hear from another local business who might be able to partner with us. I cannot stress enough the importance of the food bank to our town and surrounding areas at this time, so we hoping that a business will be able to help us quickly. Meanwhile, thank you Sudbury. You are amazing!”

Storehouse Foodbank is a compassion programme of Stour Valley Vineyard Church with two regular weekly drop in’s at the Christopher Centre. Users of the foodbank are referred through partner agencies to ensure it serves those with the greatest needs. To know more, please contact the Storehouse team on: 07973 710905 or email them today.

To give a one-off gift or set up a regular monthly gift for Storehouse, please go to our giving page. Thank you.

March 3, 2016 in news & events, news and events, Storehouse by andrew

 
Up and down the country, churches, schools and voluntary organisations are holding harvest services, festivals and suppers.

But what does Harvest mean to our wider community nowadays? What is the best way to celebrate it? Our senior pastor, Andrew Stewart-Darling, share some thoughts on his latest post on iGod.

September 29, 2015 in event, news, news & events, Storehouse by andrew

We are fast approaching the end of Lent. If you have given up chocolate you are probably in the grips of the cravings, looking forward to sinking your teeth into an Easter egg.

What ever you have decided to give up during Lent you will probably find that your purse or wallet is a little heavier. With that extra spare change you saved by not buying that sneaky afternoon chocolate bar or the box of chocolates to go with your Saturday night film, have you thought about filling either an old supermarket plastic bag or one of our Storehouse food bank bags’ with some food for a family or individual in crisis in and around Sudbury?

We will soon be collecting the bags ready for the Storehouse team to process and hand out at our Tuesday and Friday drop-ins. If you haven’t already there is still time to pick up your Storehouse brown food bag, available on a Sunday morning at our service. Alternatively yourself, family and friends can fill an old shopping bag and take to one of your nearest collection points (Click here for list of collection points). Of course, there is no limited to bags that can be filled!

If you’re not part of Vineyard and either a Collection Point or friend, you can download an A4 display poster, along with a PPT notice slide below, to help promote the idea to your church.

If we can help further, drop us a line.

Thank you.

Much love,

The Storehouse Team

April 8, 2014 in event, news, news & events, Storehouse by andrew

Thank you for giving

The team at Storehouse would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has either generously contributed food or given their time to help pack hampers. So far we have packed hampers for 450 people providing each person with enough food for 3 days. We expect this number to grow as we receive more requests for help. For those that receive these hampers it is a great blessing and one less worry at a time of year that should be filled with joy and happiness.

Look out for the follow up article in this week’s edition of the Suffolk Free Press (Thursday 12/12/13 edition) which will tell readers about the Waitrose events, hamper packing and how it has all helped.

December 10, 2013 in Christmas, news, news & events, Storehouse by andrew