On Friday 12 January 2024, several volunteers from Manna gave direct help to a group of local residents who had been displaced due to high levels of flood water in the Shepperton area.

 

More than 150 grateful residents received emergency food parcels following a special Manna team visit to the supermarket, to top up current supplies, and to provide the urgent help that was needed.

 

Borough Councillor Maureen Attewell, representing Shepperton Town, had alerted Manna to this special need, and arranged for a van from Spelthorne Borough Council to be used to transport the goods direct to the site where they were needed; she was also there to help pack the supplies, load the van and deliver the parcels to the residents.

 

The Manna volunteers completed the 6 hour task in the cold and were thanked warmly by the suffering residents, who had been trapped by the rising flood water a few days before.

 

Leading the team, Manna Chairman of Trustees, Elizabeth Wood-Dow OBE was very pleased with the outcome. “Our mission at Manna Food Bank is to help local residents in urgent and immediate need, and that is exactly what we did. It was less than 24 hours from the time we were alerted until the actual delivery. We thank Surplus to Supper for their swift reaction and assistance as well.

 

Cllr Attewell and Jackie Taylor, Head of Neighbourhood Services at Spelthorne Council, were both involved with us. It demonstrates the value of our volunteer operations. I feel it was a job well done, “ said Elizabeth.