Good Shepherd, a charity located opposite Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, is tackling homelessness and poverty by providing a weekly food pantry that serves around 50 families every Tuesday. The organisation offers a range of services focused on delivering quality and support to those most in need.
Weekly food pantry supports vulnerable families
Every Tuesday, the centre welcomes an average of 50 families from across the city to pick up essential items for the week. Referrals come from schools, social workers, and other partners, with each referral lasting six weeks before review. After this period, individuals can receive vouchers for the on-site community shop.
Neil Booth, a veteran project worker at Good Shepherd, described the help as "crucial," noting that "it starts with a meal." He told BirminghamLive: "It's a crucial part of the community, it's as simple as that. People see us mainly as a food service, be it through the family pantry or the singles sessions every Monday and Friday, it starts with a meal."
Beyond food: wraparound support services
Lee Smith, operations manager, highlighted the "wraparound support" offered, including financial wellbeing, mental health support, housing advice, and other services. "It starts with a meal essentially. The meal is the start point not the destination," he said.
Smith noted that the cost of living crisis has pushed many families into difficulty. "Over the last few months we're helping 50 to 60 families. That did go up at one point to probably 70 or 80 weekly average, but due to the work we've been doing with the community shop, it has dropped to that 50 mark. You saw people that were maybe okay or coping before, and then all of a sudden they've been put around that poverty line because of the cost of living increase."
Volunteers: the backbone of the charity
Volunteers, including 89-year-old Pam Smith who has served for nearly two decades, play a vital role. Pam said service users "will never be turned away," adding: "On Friday, I work in the kitchen. We serve around 150 people. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't come here, this really is my life. It's lovely here."
How to donate
The charity is located at 65 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, and runs sessions throughout the week. Donations of food can be dropped off Monday to Friday between 9am-11:30am or 2pm-3pm. Most needed items include long life milk, tea, coffee, sugar, hot chocolate, curry sauce, pasta sauce, tinned sweetcorn, tinned meats, pot noodles, tinned fruit, custard, desserts, and toiletries.
