Struggling with buying food? If you and your family are struggling because of debt, unemployment, or homelessness there are lots of ways we can help as an organisation with food, so please don't hesitate to get in touch.
One of the more immediate ways we can help is to provide vouchers for the local foodbank, where you can collect food parcels that should last at least three days.
Please contact the Torus Tenancy Sustainment Team who can provide you with a voucher if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Did you know that a food pantry is a membership food shop, open to everyone in the community?
For a small subscription fee of a few pounds a week, members will get access to food, including fresh fruit and vegetables, store cupboard favourites more much more, often saving households hundreds on their grocery shop.
You can find a list of Food Pantries in your area on the Torus Foundation website.
Community run food support, where no referral or vouchers are needed. As these are generally volunteer run, some details are subject to change, please contact them directly to find out more and to access the support.
If you would like to add to this list, please email the details to communications@torus.co.uk.
Families on low incomes are encouraged to sign up or if already signed up, look out for their letter telling them to switch to a new card offering healthy food funding.
Those using Healthy Start vouchers will soon be switched to a Healthy Start prepaid card which allows them to buy essentials to keep their family’s diet full of vital fruit, vegetables, milk and more.
The Healthy Start scheme is open to pregnant women who are more than 10 weeks pregnant through to parents who have a child under four-years-old and meet the requirements. The current weekly amount is between £4.25 and £8.50. The new card system will replace the vouchers and works with the advantage of being paid onto the card every four weeks. This can then be used in a variety of shops across the borough to buy:
The card also allows you to collect:
The new card can be accepted at any shop that takes Mastercard. To find out more about the Healthy Start scheme, including how to apply if you think you might qualify but don’t already receive the funding visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk or call 0345 607 6823.