Today I assisted the Vauxhall Gardens Comm-Unity Centre foodbank in serving Lambeth residents who were very appreciative

Today we had 3 goodgymers, one of us has completed over 100 deeds, another over 50 deeds and one doing their first ever deed. Wow. We all helped the volunteer team at Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre prepare for tomorrows foodbank. Amazing teamwork.

It was a 🌞 17-degree day at VGCC as 3 GG-ers kicked off by unloading 2 huge deliveries packed with crates of fruit, veg, milk, bread, snacks, cheesecake, protein bars and meat.

🥔🧅 Once everything was inside, we quality checked onions and potatoes for crate-mixing before safely storing them. Jessica wasted no time in splitting a massive sack of penne pasta into various smaller, equally weighed bags. Susan and Chandrima tackled various packets of chicken, dividing the packets into smaller portions of 11 pieces, carefully labelling halal and non-halal meat before storing it safely in the freezer.🐔

🥛🧀 We also made sure all the milk, cheese and yoghurt were stowed away in chilled storage, crate-mixed the protein bars 💪 and crisps, quality checked the fruits (bananas and raspberries) before their safe storage, then finished up by cleaning down every surface and breaking down the cardboard boxes for recycling so the space was spotless and ready for the next session! 🧽♻️

There is no greater feeling than standing shoulder to shoulder with people who care. Today, thanks to 6 amazing GoodGymers and the tireless VGCC team, we were able to serve our community with speed and a smile. It’s more than just a meal, it’s about making sure everyone feels seen and cared for. We are endlessly grateful for this family!

Today was a productive day, involving a quick setup for tomorrow's clients, such as packing chicken, filling sauces into containers, sorting arrivals, and logging deliveries.

Always a joy helping out the Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre team! Their cheerfulness is so contagious that a six-hour session felt more like six minutes. ❤️

Chandrima and Brenda kicked things off by sorting trays of 12-pack egg cartons into 6-packs, ready for easier distribution to the community. Valentine’s Day energy was still in the air as we carefully split bundles of roses into mini bouquets of three stems each, popped into buckets with flower food so they’d stay fresh and be simple to hand out. 🌹

Next up was a satisfying round of crate-mixing and shelf-filling: cans of Coca-Cola Zero, cartons and bottles of milk, then rice, pasta, and an impressive line-up of tins including baked beans, butter beans, green lentils, chopped Italian tomatoes, red kidney beans, black-eyed beans, chicken soup and vegetable soup. Once everything was in place, we moved straight into a busy Friday distribution session. Chandrima was responsible for the carbs, sauces, and tinned food sections. And Brenda was in charge of the fruits. Today we helped around 80 people in urgent need of food support! 💖

This was followed by a full clean-up so the space was ready for the week ahead.

The sweetest moment – in every sense – came at the end, when a lovely lady who receives support from VGCC surprised the team and GoodGym volunteers with a scrumptious homemade cake to thank us for our help. Sharing a slice together after a long, heartwarming session was the perfect way to wrap up a Valentine-tinged day of community kindness! 🍰✨