KCF Team Volunteer at Celebration Church in Maidstone

On 30 January, the KCF team spent time volunteering with Celebration Church in Maidstone to help with creating some new systems and packaging food boxes to support local families.

The team helped Scott and Lydia, their 1-year-old Rosie and colleague Roy from Celebration Church, to create a filing system for copies of their forty different recipe cards, label packaging and prepare food in the kitchen and choose a selection of all age books to create a children’s library for families to access.

After a lunch of vegetable chilli, jackets and rice, (one of the most popular Celebration Church recipes from their food boxes) the team helped to rearrange the space to welcome local families to pick up their food parcels and join the ‘Stay & Play’ session, where families come to be themselves, make fiends and enjoy a warm space with refreshments, toys and books.

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, Kent Community Foundation, said “We are very impressed with Lydia and Scott’s commitment to their local community and how they are continually thinking about new ideas to support local families. Their ‘Celebrate Family Food’ boxes contain recipe cards, fresh produce, spices and store cupboard basics to encourage healthy cooking on a budget and inspire families to cook and eat together and we wish them continued success supporting their community so positively.”

Georgie MacFarlan, Individuals’ Grants Officer, Kent Community Foundation, said “It was a great day and I was impressed by the long-term impact the food boxes are having on families. Celebration Church is not just providing ingredients for meals but changing how families cook and eat together.”

Lydia from Celebration Church said “We are so thankful to Kent Community Foundation for their support of our community food project, ever since we began in the 202 lockdowns. Kent Community Foundation has been a lifeline to our work on a number of occasions, granting us essential funds to continue to support our community and create a happy and safe place for families here.”