House of Bread have been active feeding those less fortunate in the community for a number of years. We visit to find out more.
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00:00We're at House of Bread in Stafford and it's a food bank of a different kind, isn't it Will?
00:05Yeah, brilliant.
00:06It's a cafe kind of vibe going on in here.
00:08It's a completely holistic approach to supporting the vulnerable and homeless in the community.
00:13So you're right, we do a food bag, we do toiletries, furniture, it's all about the food.
00:17The family eats together, stays together, very much part of our mantra.
00:21So we support people at their point of crisis to see if they want to make a difference and want to change.
00:26And if they do, that's a wonderful journey to have.
00:28And if they don't, we just support them.
00:31So you've had a class in here earlier making bread.
00:34We have. Everybody makes two loaves of bread.
00:36The loaves they've just made, one of them is to keep themselves,
00:38the other one is to give away to somebody else.
00:41And a profound ability to give to other people is amazing.
00:45So what would you say to those people who kind of, how can I put it,
00:50who think, oh the people going to them food banks, you know,
00:52just want to sort themselves out, get a job.
00:54You know, that kind of attitude and mentality.
00:56The stories you must have coming through here,
00:59like you say, they're people that are starting from rock bottom, aren't they, in life, some of them.
01:03Nobody woke up this morning and said I want to be an alcoholic or a drug addict.
01:07Everybody who comes here comes for a reason and it's not for us to judge.
01:11So we just welcome everybody and that is key to why we do what we do.
01:18And how many people do you kind of support here, do you think?
01:21So I suppose in a typical week you'd have 120 people plus who would come into the cafe
01:26and that doesn't include the people who are referred into us for food bags from other agencies.
01:30So on a typical week we could be helping between 400 and 500 people in various different ways.
01:36Yeah and we must stress it is that cafe vibe but it is, you know,
01:40people are coming in here and you're supporting them for free.
01:43They're coming into this cafe vibe and eating for free.
01:46Yeah it's a pay as you feel concept.
01:48Yes we get people who come in and would like to pay something
01:50and we get people paying it forward so they come in and buy somebody else a coffee.
01:54But in principle you come in, it's all entirely free.
01:57All the food that we've been talking about is all provided to us as free food and not wasted,
02:03which is incredible.
02:04And some of the people donating, you've got a few corporates to mention.
02:08Yeah so we've got all the supermarkets you can imagine and it's amazing
02:13and all private individuals who drop things off, different people who make cakes for us.
02:18It is an extraordinary collection of people and businesses
02:22and the wider community that keep us in food.
02:24And how long has House of Bread been doing what they do then?
02:27Okay we started in 2010 and we've continued for that 14 years.
02:32Yeah and do you find that you'll have people coming through your doors
02:36like once or twice then not see them again or do you find that it's like a regular thing?
02:40That's a very good question. We have regular customers who we see every day
02:43and we have people that we see periodically who disappear.
02:46They might be that they need to spend some time in prison for example.
02:51But it's about needing us when they want to.
02:53So when they're okay and they're back in the community then they don't need us
02:58and then that's why they don't see them.
02:59But we're always available and our door is always open.
03:02And volunteer wise have you got enough people here helping
03:06or are you always kind of you know welcoming more?
03:08We always need more. It's about quality not quantity.
03:12So yeah volunteer either with us or somewhere local to you.
03:16It's important we rely on volunteers and all food banks and similar operations will rely on volunteers
03:22and the community is what keeps us going and keeps the inclusion so that everybody feels welcome.
03:28How many people do you have working and volunteering here for you?
03:31We've got two members of staff who are paid.
03:33Yeah.
03:34And about 150 possibly even more volunteers and some of them work remotely.
03:38So I work with people all around the world doing things to create what needs to make the cafe happen.
03:44And you're a man of faith. Is that where this kind of drive comes from to help others?
03:48It does. I came to faith about 2010 and part of my journey was to understand the vulnerability
03:56and to understand what homeless is all around and to support people in that moment of crisis.
04:01Because not everybody wants to change their entire life but it's about welcoming all
04:06and we like to think that that mantra is exactly where Jesus would be.
04:10And in terms of the build-up to Christmas will it be busier, quieter? How does that play out?
04:15It goes mad from today basically and it's amazing and it's brilliant
04:19but it is all about quality not quantity.
04:21So if you're thinking I can only donate a tin of beans,
04:24that tin of beans will make an enormous difference.
04:27So it's not about quantity, it's about the gift.
04:29There's a play in the Manor's Kitchen that we ran to.
04:32Oh yeah, there is.
04:33And so she was saying about what they do and she said
04:36some of the stories you've got people coming in here who have kind of been born
04:41into houses of addiction and so on but this place when there's people in here
04:45it's full of laughter really, there's a lot of fun here.
04:47It is, the predominant sound when you come in is just that feeling of love,
04:51that feeling of hope and encouragement and we create that in order for everybody to feel at home.
04:59The family that eats together stays together, that's a biological family or just friends
05:03and that's critical to why we can reach out and create that vibe of hope for everybody.
05:10And you were saying that kind of safe space that you've created here
05:13that enables other departments,
05:16people that come here that perhaps wouldn't go to places like DWP and places of that ilk,
05:21you know, it's all a bit official and a bit formal and scares them off.
05:24Yeah, you're right, it's a bit too formal, too many lanyards and laptops.
05:28We like to meet you, have a coffee with you, have a donut with you
05:31and then maybe ask the question as to what it is that you need help with
05:34or would you like some help and once we've made that bridge,
05:37that sort of leap over to having the conversation about your needs,
05:41that enables us to explore how we might be able to help.
05:45Particularly nice corner here, what's going on here then?
05:47So this is our good friends from B&Q in Stafford
05:50and they did a corporate social responsibility day.
05:52We came in and five of them and spent about four hours
05:55and they basically turned our courtyard garden from what is a bare space
05:59to this beautiful multicultural miracle.
06:03Well done B&Q.
06:04Awesome.
06:05So you've got an army of freezers down here working away then
06:09and there's even a haggis hiding in one of these.
06:14So, I mean, because I guess fresh food, frozen food,
06:18is that the trick you want to kind of master?
06:20It is and what we do every day is prepare a meal which is freshly made.
06:24So we need the best, the most high protein that we possibly can,
06:28good quality food because most of the friends that we work with
06:32either are not eating hot food or they're just cooking out of the microwave.
06:35So we want to give them something warm and nutritious.
06:38Yeah.
06:38So you've got an army of freezers down here working away then
06:42and there's even a haggis hiding in one of these.
06:47So, I mean, because I guess fresh food, frozen food,
06:51is that the trick you want to kind of master?
06:54It is and what we do every day is prepare a meal which is freshly made.
06:58So we need the best, the most high protein that we possibly can,
07:01good quality food because most of the friends that we work with
07:05either are not eating hot food or they're just cooking out of the microwave.
07:09So we want to give them something warm and nutritious.
07:11Yeah.