12/06/2026
A happy thank you!
What happens to the food you, Lidl, Co-op or Waitrose donate?
Quite simply, it goes free of charge to those in emergency need first and foremost. Only after all our food bank packs are done leftover fresh food goes free of charge to those who visit on our opening days exactly like the community fridges around the town but with the benefit of providing for those in emergency need first. All long life stuff is stored for further emergency food bank packs. We could not do those as well as we do without your donations. Alongside your donations we give those in emergency need a voucher so they can access all our food free of charge and choose what they feed their families rather than have only the limited range we've had donated.
How do you get the food you sell?
We buy most of it thanks to grants and sustainable revenue from the small amount we sell it for. Every penny goes into providing more support for those who can't pay, this means our emergency free food provision now includes fresh meat, lots more healthy fruit and veg and household & sanitary essentials and we can operate every day of the year because an emergency can be at any time. We get some food specifically donated by a few businesses for the purpose of freely being given if needed and any surplus sold to raise money to buy more food.
Why sell food at all?
We noticed a trend in food bank use that we couldn't ignore. Emergency use became long term and some people felt they had little choice but to get a food bank referral when they just needed help until payday. We noticed that some families had no choice but to use a food bank when they really didn't want to. Every single client we helped stated that they didn't want free food, they just wanted to afford food. How could we stop these people feeling a loss of dignity and help them to have choice, good food and support into other services? The answer was to invest in volunteer training, join The Alliance for Dignified Food Support, professional accreditation to The Independent Food Aid Network and dialogue with Trussel Trust to discuss and share the changing food bank landscape. After all that groundwork we opened our little charity shop system that helps those who just needed cheaper food and also funds free food for those in emergency need. A win all round.
Isn't this all a bit complicated?
No. Donated food from you goes to those in emergency need.
Supermarket surplus goes free just like a community fridge but with the added bonus of serving those in emergency need first.
Food we buy also goes to those in emergency need first then raises money to keep us sustainable and buy more food to benefit anyone who chooses to visit. Hurrah for this even being possible!
The advantages? Dignity, Choice, not needing to get a referral when a family just needs a top up, accessible every day of the year in an emergency, support to claim relevant grants and into services, less anxiety and crucially a framework that is flexible enough to provide tailored support because all families are different.
We are just one of many excellent food support services in and around Okehampton that work to support our community, each and every one of us is different and we are all important. You can contact us 01837 218228 or by emailing [email protected]
3 Station Road, Okehampton, EX20 1DY.
Registered charity 1214881
www.okehamptonfoodbank.org
