Taunton Foodbank

Who We Help, Why We Help & the Difference It Makes

What We Do

If you need help from our foodbank there are a few simple steps to follow.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS TO GET A FOODBANK VOUCHER.

In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation we work with local agencies. 

If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis. 

Agencies we work with include: Citizens Advice, housing support officers, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities.

1. GET IN TOUCH WITH US.

If you call or email our foodbank we can talk through your situation and put you in touch with a relevant local agency.

2. ARRANGE A VISIT TO THE REFERRAL AGENCY.

They will discuss your situation and supply you with a foodbank voucher where appropriate.

3. BRING  YOUR FOODBANK VOUCHER TO YOUR NEAREST FOODBANK CENTRE. 

You can find a list of our local centres and opening times here. When you arrive, we’ll welcome you with a warm drink and our trained volunteers will chat with you about your situation. We’ll also discuss any dietary needs you may have and exchange your foodbank voucher for a parcel of three days of emergency food. We’ll also help to support you in any other ways that we can. Most of our foodbank centres offer a cafe style environment and our aim is to provide non-judgemental support at the point of crisis.

If you have any further questions our FAQ’s page may help, or feel free to give us a call.

We know that crisis can strike anyone and we also understand how difficult it can be to think about walking through a foodbank door. That’s why our foodbank volunteers aim to welcome everyone who comes to the foodbank with compassion, kindness and a listening ear.

MEETING YOUR NEEDS

Your foodbank voucher will be exchanged for three days of emergency food. We want to make sure that we give you the right food to meet your needs, so please do let our volunteers know if you have any special dietary requirements or allergies, for example, gluten free, halal or vegetarian.

PREPARING YOUR FOOD

Whilst your food parcel is being prepared, a volunteer will offer you a warm drink and a biscuit. They will also be available if you would like to have a chat. Your food parcel will be packed into supermarket carrier bags. If you prefer to bring your own bags those can be used instead.

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT

Foodbank volunteers take the time to listen and support you. They are specially trained to know about local services and offer practical guidance so that you have access to the right support, helping you to break out of crisis.

Volunteer

VOLUNTEER

Volunteers are the life blood of foodbanks. Your skills could be just what we need.

Volunteers are the driving force behind foodbanks. There are thousands of volunteers across the UK, helping The Trussell Trust Foodbank Network get emergency food to people in crisis. We want you to enjoy volunteering and there are lots of ways to get involved. Whatever role you choose, you will make a real difference to the life of someone in crisis.

WAREHOUSE VOLUNTEER

We need help to weigh, sort and store donated food before it’s made into parcels for clients to collect. You could help in this vital work to ensure we have the right food available at all times.

VOUCHER COORDINATOR

Foodbanks work with front line agencies who in turn refer clients to foodbanks. Some foodbanks have over 100 referral partners and in this role you will be coordinating the issuing and distribution of vouchers to these agencies. Once the vouchers are redeemed the data they contain needs to be added to our central database. Full training and support is available.

HELPING AT A FOODBANK CENTRE

Meet clients and give out food parcels. Have an informal chat with clients over a cup of tea, to discuss their situation and signpost to further support.

WEB EDITOR

Our local website needs constant attention. Could your digital skills help communicate our message to a local and global audience? You will need to know a little about websites and ideally have experience of using WordPress (though training and support is available).

If you are interested in volunteering please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!

DONATE FOOD

Our foodbank relies on your goodwill and support.

Over 90% of the food distributed by foodbanks in The Trussell Trust network is donated by the public – that’s why your food donations are absolutely vital to our ability to give everyone referred to us a balanced and nutritious three day supply of food.

Our shopping list here shows the food items that we need right now.

If you are happy to drop off food donations, please see the table here for our food collection point locations:

Community Trail