Tel: 07444015883 or email: fountainfoodbank@gmail.com
The Bible says in 1 John 4:19 ‘We love because He first loved us.’
Fountain Foodbank is a local cross community charity responding to God’s love, by providing emergency food parcels to those who find themselves in difficult circumstances. Fountain Foodbank is an independent foodbank helping those in Downpatrick and surrounding Lecale areas, including, Strangford, Ardglass, Killyleagh and Killough.
HOW TO GET HELP
Fountain Foodbank, like many other foodbanks, uses a voucher referral system. We know that anyone can find themselves at a crisis point for various reasons. To provide the most appropriate help, we work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher or email your referral details to us directly. The local agency can also provide long-term support or benefits advice to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis.
To get a referral for a food parcel, contact any of our local partner organisations. You can contact us directly but after your first visit you will be passed on to one of our partner organisations for future help. It can take a few days to get the referral completed, so please try to ask for help as soon as possible.
Contact us directly:- 077444015883 Email fountainfoodbank@gmail.com
Newry Mourne and Down Community Advice: www.advicenmd.com This website has a referral section where you simply fill in your name and address and message asking for a food parcel. They will contact you for further details. You can also ring 0300 30 30 306
Society of St Vincent de Paul SVP: Helpline 028 44616557 or 07586972093 . This is an automated service. Leave a clear message and contact details and they will ring you back.
County Down Rural Community Network Tel. 028 44612311
You can also contact any GP -MDT team or a social worker or other healthcare professional and they should be able to refer you to us.
If you already have contact with the following groups, they may be able to refer you to the foodbank for help.
MACS (16-24year olds) 028 44615155
Home-Start 028 44615727
Christians Against Poverty capuk.org Local contact: 07443586701
SureStart (families with children under four years) 028 44613630
Caring Communities Safe and Well (Over 65s) 028 97566934
Our referral partners assess who we can help but we have helped people who are on low incomes, waiting for benefit claims to be processed, unemployed, single parents, those who are ill and cannot work, those at risk of homelessness, bereaved families, asylum seekers, those in debt, those with unexpected bills or in a crisis. Please ask for help- it is a brave thing to do.
COLLECTING YOUR FOOD PARCEL
We are open on Fridays from 10-12 noon in Downpatrick Presbyterian Church Hall, 16 Fountain Street, Downpatrick BT30 6AW.
Having got a referral from our partners, call in and give your name and address details to our volunteers. They will give you a food parcel containing mainly non-perishable foods and some toiletries. We sometimes provide fruit and vegetables and butchers’ vouchers if they are available.
If you cannot collect a parcel we can sometimes provide a delivery service. Please note that we are all volunteers and try to provide as much help as possible, but the phone and email are not monitored 24/7. Phone and email are monitored during working hours.
DONATIONS
Donations of non-perishable foods can be made via donation points in Asda Downpatrick, Eurospar Downpatrick, McCartan’s Sports Downpatrick, Eurospar Ardglass, Milligan’s Ardglass and in local churches.
You can also make donations during our opening hours at the foodbank on Fridays. Financial donations can be made by contacting us on 07444015883 or emailing fountainfoodbank@gmail.com
For those who would like to contribute to the foodbank, we would greatly appreciate the following non-perishable items:
- Tinned meat (ham, corned beef)
- Tinned meals/pies (e.g. chicken in white sauce, minced beef and onion pie,)
- Tinned fish
- Tinned fruit
- Tinned vegetables- peas, sweetcorn, carrots, beans
- UHT or long-life milk
- Tea/coffee
- Cereal
- Jam
- Noodles
- Diluting juice
- Sauces, e.g. Curry, Sweet and Sour sauce
- Pasta
- Tinned tomatoes
- Tomato/brown sauce
- Spaghetti hoops
- Rice
- Packet mash/ tinned potatoes
- Rice pudding/custard
- Packet of biscuits
- A treat, e.g. packet of sweets
- Tinned soup/cup-a-soup
- Toiletries
- Cleaning Products