Serving up a Feast

We took a family stroll down to Catford and the King's Church, home of The Feast. We have had a group of volunteers helping out a few times a week in the past couple of months, collecting hot meals to deliver by bike and on foot to local people who need a little extra support right now.

We were met by Simon, who leads the project, and he introduced us to his daughter and her two friends, who pack and organise the bags and boxes every Sunday (and some weekdays). They are clearly pros at this, with everything bagged, labelled and ready to go (including a gift bag and card for a recipient's birthday). Edward, Hector and I are hoping to be able to help out as a family where needed, so it was great to see how it all works.

The smell in the hall was lovely, with trays and trays of freshly made lasagne in the oven and little boxes waiting to be filled. Our timing was pretty good and we quickly pulled on some gloves and made our own little chain, with Edward scooping lasagne into boxes and Hector and I popping on lids and putting them in the insulated cases.

Soon, we were joined by a team of delivery drivers/riders and strollers, including our very own Caireen and John (it was a real treat to see them after such a long time!). Simon took me outside, so I could see how this side of things works and wave the hot meals and extra supplies (including some bunches of flowers) on their way.

Until recently, the weekly Feast took place here for people to come in person, sitting down to a hot meal, socialising and receiving any other support they might need. For now, things are running slightly differently, but still on an incredible scale, with around 150 meals going out while we were there. If you want to see the team in action, take a look at this lovely short film that they have put together.