Paramount Pantry's first campaign was a food drive in the spirit of Agents Giving Charity #AgentsGivingDay on June 20th.
For many people in London, 2019 has been a year of economic uncertainty. For many living in the most vulnerable and precarious situations, they have reached a point where they have no other choice but to turn to food banks to help themselves and their families survive. For members of the community coming from all sorts of backgrounds and circumstances who have needed to use a food bank at one time or anther, the kindness and generosity of their neighbours makes all the difference in whether they are able to put a meal on the table or are forced to go hungry.
Brent foodbank in Willesden supports people in crisis by providing three days’ worth of meals per visit, with a focus on nutritional balance. They are part of a network of food banks supported by The Trussel Trust – an organization that works to provide food and support to people locked in poverty, and that campaigns for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.
This year there has been a 400% increase in the number of people relying on Brent foodbank to get by, and unfortunately, there has been a significant decline in donations. The foodbank finds itself under more pressure than ever to meet the needs of the community, and this month we wanted to do what we could to help their situation.
Last week our office ran a food drive as part of our first Paramount Pantry initiative. To us, Paramount Pantry is a step forward in the estate agent world, and it comprises a group of us at the office that is passionate about using the resources that we have to help the community that we’re a part of, because it’s the right thing to do. This time we used our network to collect as many donations as we could.
The amount of support from the local community and our own team was amazing, and with everyone’s generous donations we were able to give a whopping 340 kgs (about 750 items) of food to the foodbank! According to Brent foodbank’s estimates, which are based on the WHO's definition of an average meal, this equates to 142 meals! In addition to food, we were able to help them replenish their supplies of personal care items like shampoo, soap and deodorant that fly off the shelves and are always needed.
On Friday we loaded up our Paramount Maintenance van, and with our Head of Maintenance Vinni at the wheel, we headed off to Brent foodbank to volunteer with their team. After a lot of heavy lifting, weighing, labeling, and sorting, we had a genuine appreciation for the hard work that the team of volunteers at the food bank donate their time to do on a regular basis. They kept us well-motivated with an endless supply of tea, and caffeine-buzz aside, I can also honestly say that they are an amazing group of positive, supportive people that want to help their community. If you have ever considered volunteering – please get in contact with them!
Although our food drive has come to an end, our work for the community has not!
Paramount Pantry will act as an ongoing collection hub out of the Paramount office (150 West end Lane in West Hampstead, London). Collection is not limited to food items – we will also take gently used clean clothing and furniture. Relocation – whether it’s within the city or abroad – is the perfect time to go through your cupboard for items that are still in date, and items in your closet that you no longer use. If you can’t make it to our office – not a problem! We will arrange to come pick up your donations from your home or place of work (within NW2/NW6). Just send us an email at pantry@paramount-properties.co.uk or call us at 020 7644 2344.
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