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From Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th June, we along with charities across the UK, marked a very important occasion. Volunteers' Week runs for a week every year to mark the amazing contribution volunteers make to communities, and is a chance to publicly recognise, celebrate and thank, all the incredible volunteers for everything they contribute to society as a whole.
Anyone who knows The Food Chain will know that our services are largely delivered by an incredible team of over 150 volunteers. We wouldn't get very far at all without them! Here's just a flavour of all that they do...
Lead Cooks and Kitchen Assistants prepare and serve delicious lunches twice a week while Hosts make everyone feel welcome and comfortable; Dietetic Support Volunteers arrange deliveries of fresh food and groceries; Nutrition Assistants give talks on nutritional topics every Saturday; Fundraisers shake tins for donations and raise awareness of our work; Events Volunteers ensure our cake sales, bingos and dinners run smoothly; Corporate Teams run quizzes, food drives and awareness campaigns; Trustees oversee the governance and strategy of the charity... and then there are the wonderfully flexible folk who answer our random and often strange requests - "driver needed to take a fridge to Hackney" or "can someone help us put a load of records on eBay?"
One of our Service Users recently sent in a thank you which says it better than we can:
"A big Thank You to everyone. I have thoroughly enjoyed my lunches but more importantly I have made some good friends and I no longer feel the isolation and the anxiety that I had prior to coming. I would like to specially say thank you to all the Hosts who are very kind and polite and always greet me with a smile on my arrival and have a coffee ready for me by the time I get my chair. The chefs and kitchen assistants are always so welcoming and make the lunch experience just like a family. The office team have been very helpful and never fail to check if all is well. Such a lovely bunch of people and I am very grateful for all you did during my visits."
The Food Chain began with volunteers, and we are proud every day of the team that has been built over the years. To all volunteers, past and present, we say a heartfelt thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.
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