Community Cafe And Shop Launches

The Dignity of Choice

Through the Food for Thought Alliance and in partnership with Love Your Neighbour, Derby City Mission has been offered the opportunity
to open a Community Shop for the pilot period of one year. We opened this shop at small capacity in October 2021.

Our foodbank, like most others, has been in such high demand over the last two years that the more intensive work with some clients has been difficult to achieve. Work such as advice on budgeting long term and helping to be a support to those people who are lonely and isolated. The pandemic has led to further redundancies, more debt, and increased social isolation and we are on the cusp of a wave of evictions, cost of living crisis and unmanageable debt.

One client who no longer needs to use the shop but still pops in to see us for a cuppa every week said “Everyone is so kind and helpful, I don’t know where I would be without their support”.

Food poverty and food insecurity destroys hope. 

Many clients tell us that having to ask for a food parcel demonstrates to them that they
have hit rock bottom. So, it has long been our desire to bring some choice, dignity and hope back to people who feel that this has all been taken away from them. The Community Shop would start this process and, because it will run alongside a scaled-down café, it will offer further support, teaching, prayer and fellowship, in partnership with volunteers from churches across the city. The Community Shop is another practical demonstration of our mission and builds on our existing and long-standing foundations.

At the end of March, we had the official opening of the Community Shop with Liz Fothergill the Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire in attendance. It was a great opportunity to get the word out there about what we do and to encourage people to come forward if they need help. All clients are encouraged to engage with our Jubilee Debt and Benefit Advice service which gives us more scope to get to the bottom of what help they need and to ease the burden they feel.

In 2021, we fed over 5000 people and expect that number to rise this year due to economic pressures. We are here to support anyone in need and while we address the poverty people find themselves in, we also look to help with the spiritual poverty we so often see.

If you’re interested in supporting the work we’re doing to restore dignity in those struggling with poverty, please take a look at our Community Shop and Cafe Service page to find out more about, donating financial or food provisions.