YMCA Romford received a large donation of food boxes from Kitchen Social, a programme funded by the Mayor of London that addresses the growing issue of food insecurity, during the Christmas holidays.
The food, which was distributed to families who attend the charity’s holiday club in the run up to Christmas, was a hit with both children and parents.
One parent said “We loved these food boxes! My daughter is 8 and delighted that you could actually make rice pudding (she was surprised it wasn’t just a tin like we buy!), so very educational for the kids. I also appreciated that the curry was vegetarian and a “store cupboard” meal. It had a good balance of being a quick meal while still lots of lovely spices for flavour. Both meals were easy, and cheap, to replicate. Thanks.”
Emma Middleton, Fundraising Manager for YMCA Thames Gateway Group said “We are so delighted to have received so many Take & Make boxes from Kitchen Social this Christmas. The feedback has been amazing and just shows how invaluable this support is to many of the families we work with. It’s also a wonderful way of teaching young people how to cook from scratch and for them to learn that food doesn’t just come out of a tin!”
YMCA Romford runs holiday clubs throughout the year with free spaces available for children who receive free school meals. For more information visit www.ymcatg.org or email Qualitychildcare@ymcatg.org.
Pictured left: Each box contained ingredients for a meal for four people along with a recipe card.
Main picture (above): Boxes arrive at YMCA Thames Gateway’s Romford branch. Charlotte Corby, Head of Communities North pictured.
