Project: Packing and distributing Easter eggs, children’s ‘Boxes of Hope’ and emergency food boxes to support and raise the spirits of vulnerable people in the community
Grant: £5,000
Fund: NET Coronavirus Appeal (more info)
Restore Hope, a charity which provides support for families, children and young people facing challenging life situations, has partnered with The Storehouse to help the community at a time when we’re all feeling disconnected as a result of the coronavirus.
The Storehouse is a volunteer-led project supporting Amersham, Chesham, Chorleywood, the Chalfonts and other local villages and is comprised of various local church and community groups, including Chiltern Foodbank. Responding to the current crisis, The Storehouse has created a pop-up distribution centre to pack boxes that will bring some Easter joy to local families and support them at this uncertain time.
A grant of £5,000 from the NET Coronavirus Appeal has helped Restore Hope and The Storehouse with their aim to reach thousands of local people as they send out ‘Boxes of Hope’ and ‘Easter Blessing Boxes’ across the region.
“We contacted all the charities, local churches and community organisations that we’ve engaged with over the last few years that support children and families facing difficult circumstances”, explained Graham Wakeman, director of Restore Hope.
“Boxes were then distributed to these organisations to personally distribute to families that they already had relationships with and were supporting/working with”. He also shared that some additional Easter eggs were delivered to specific streets and communities in Bucks where they knew there would be need.
The Boxes of Hope, delivered to families with young children, each contained toys and crafts worth over £80 to keep the children entertained during this unprecedented and worrying time:
The Easter Blessing Boxes, meanwhile, contained chocolate Easter eggs and magazines for all the family:
The Storehouse and Restore Hope have been overwhelmed by the gratitude of local people who received these surprise Easter packages on their doorsteps.
“It’s been an amazing few weeks!” said Graham Wakeman. “1,500 families received boxes with over 6,000 full size Easter eggs being distributed by multiple partner organisations. 400 Kids Big Boxes of Hope have also been sent out, with more going next week. Over 1200 volunteer hours have been donated!”
You can see the incredible impact this project has had in The Storehouse’s video here:
The next part of the Storehouse project is to transform the box-packing hub into a packing and distribution centre for thousands of boxes of emergency food to support Chiltern Foodbank.
“I’m so overwhelmed and thankful for this amazing generosity. This really brought hope and light in this dystopian experience. Thank you so so much”.
“Thank you so much for bringing hope, joy and laughter in a time of darkness and worry”.
“I didn’t even expect it, brought me to tears”.
“I don’t even want to imagine where I’d be without Restore Hope, being a single parent myself, the support is overwhelming… we thank you from the bottom of our hearts”.
– Box recipients
