Fresh FRUIT & VEGETABLES for families

Food for vulnerable families project began in March 2020 in response to the Pandemic.

Each week fresh fruit and vegetables are purchased from a local supermarket and are then lovingly sorted by our team of volunteers which are then distributed to families .We receive referrals from Local Authorities of the most vulnerable families within the Borough. We also work with other organisations for referrals. Families can also self refer.

Families are given support for 12 weeks and within those 12 weeks additional information and resources will be emailed to them to help them to gain the most from the programme. The programme works on a continuation of 12 week cycles.

The programmes key objectives are to:

• Offer support to families at a critical point in their lives and assist them with weekly fresh fruit and vegetables that will give them nutritional benefits to their overall wellbeing

• Families who may not be supported by public funds, or have just entered the country and awaiting benefit outcomes will gain access to the service to help in the interim

• The project aims to support families and vulnerable people to access a weekly delivery for 12-weeks offering a selection of fruit and vegetables  

• Build resilience during these challenging times so that families can concentrate on important matters such as managing finances and health whilst knowing that they will receive a food parcel delivered to them that has healthy benefits

• Help educate families on the benefits of healthy eating through regular email updates with recipes to make with the fruit and veg that is provided

• Empower families to cook healthy meals on a budget. Help people to understand that healthy living can be affordable.

• Ensure the people within these families who are the most vulnerable have weekly fresh food to eat that is healthy and will help boost their immunity, especially if there are children in the family who have life limiting conditions or are living in poverty and are living in overcrowded conditions.

We aim to provide families with healthy, nutritious food that will help promote a healthy diet, boost their vitamin intake and immune systems. We are passionate that no person in this day and age should go hungry.

Families that are particularly in need will receive continued support after their cycle ends.

5 million people in the UK lived in food poverty between 2019 – 2020, according to the Governments latest Family Resources Survey. In 2020, this was 8% of the population, but data from The Food Foundation suggests food insecurity levels rose to 9% of the population in January 2021.

The Food for families project is proving to be highly successful and really making a difference to so many families lives. So much so that the project has been featured within the National Lottery’s website with an article sharing direct feedback from one of the families we support. To view the article click here:

https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/life-changing/project-zebras?icid=lich-212:bd:6:tnls-gc:tnl:lich-prze-947:in:btn

Did you know we are also food bank REFERRAL agents?

Zebras Children and Adults Charity are also referral agents to food banks throughout the UK. If you are in need of support please contact us using the “ Refer ” button above, where you will directly email us and we can then discuss your need for support.

We may also be able to direct you to other support you may need in your area.

“May God Bless you all in everything you do, you made our Christmas last year by providing us all with presents galore! You have made lock down livable by delivering us fresh produce that we would not normally have access to due to the current situation. So to say thank you is not quite enough. You are amazing individuals whom give more then hope to under privileged persons like ourselves".

_ Family with 6 children receiving the weekly fruit and veg and Christmas toy support

“ The food delivered to us has been a lifeline, its really helped my grand daughter as well who also has a disabled child, she rely’s on universal credit, the food the charity has given got her through 5 weeks of struggling for food, and it really helps me each week for my son”

- Beneficiary with a disabled adult Son

The project began supporting families with the deliveries and drop-ins in the Enfield and Haringey London Boroughs and continues to do so , however the project has now expanded to the Suffolk region in areas where there is deprivation such as Brandon and Thetford. If you aware of a family or are a family who would like to receive FREE fresh fruit and vegetables please contact us to see if we can help.

For more information, to self REFER or refer a family please click here:

Can you donate food to us?

We are always in need of food donations. If you are a supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables please do contact us if you can make a donation.

We also collect other food items , preferable items that are non-perishable and can be stored and have a long shelf life. If you can support us with any donations please do contact us using the button below.

The fruit and veg for families project has expanded to the Suffolk region and reaches the Suffolk news!

Read here: Suffolk News Article