Between Pride & Shame: the painful situation of our elders exposed by this crisis (- and what can you do with a ton of seaweed and dipping sauce?)

Last week, we at We Care Food Bank thought we would be looking forward to not running a food bank 7 days a week, the worst the Government would have us believe is over, and yet those of us on the frontline of feeding people hungry and alone and without cash this crisis have seen a rapid increase in people seek help this week, one local school contacted us this week because they have become aware of 40 families that are going hungry because if a child is getting free school meals, the family of which that child is a member is also going hungry, whilst the going back to work rush has seen all Corona Community Support Networks like ours see Volunteers go back to work whilst busy roads make getting crucial food parcel deliveries ever harder to deliver. Thankfully we still have our We Care team made up of awesome people from a variety of backgrounds, including homeless people, architects, film-set designers, actors, political researchers, chefs, refugees, a brewery owner and criminal lawyer, a Windrush hero - but how long will many of them be able to stay as work calls again? Storage is an increasing problem with cafe and restaurants closed and food bank donation points rare, We Care like others are dependent on the food from warehouses and stores to help pad out our food parcels, 80% of what we give out we buy as we get NO state or council funding this week our biggest delivery included Itsu Seawood and MacDonald's dipping sauce when what we all really needed was Cooking oil, rice, eggs, toothpaste, toiletries and yes loo paper, ready steady cook was never like this. so if you can please donate. https://www.gofundme.com/f/corona-virus-community-support-network?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

This crisis has also exposed how tough and what high-risk life is for the elderly, our mums, dads, grandparents, no lunch clubs, bingo or the family round for tea on sunday, poverty has been a growing issue that I have long campaigned to raise awareness, huge numbers do not have a smartphone or the internet, in the age we live those we love, live further away with distancing even visiting a neighbour is not an option when corona haunts your every thought, whilst for years I have been writing about the elderly having the family round for tea on sunday and then queuing at the local food bank on monday, for you see the elderly have worked every day of their lives, they have paid their taxes and many fought OUR Wars, they live in a world that is aspirational nothing worse than having lived a full life and yet finding yourself unable to put food on the table or ask a family member for help, This week this issue was picked up at last by the main stream press and this link takes you to the TV News Interview i did this week, although sadly what i have to say is never given the screen time it deserves and i would ask that when you visit family and friends you take a look at the cupboards and fridge , do they need your help? Pride and Shame words that do not come easily to this community. My RT Television News Interview on the crisis faced by the Elderly https://youtu.be/ECQztOMgKHY

As we enter week 9, how about turning Saturday 23 May, ( The bank Holiday weekend ) Into a front door table sale, sell what you bake, your old books and clothes and raise cash for the local grassroots organisation in YOUR community doing great work, most like us get NO state or Council funding so the pounds you raise will make a huge difference to people and pets in crisis needing Eggs, Fish, Loo roll.

This week we started, at last, filming these people and what is going on at grassroots level on an epic scale across Lewisham, if it's going on here it's happening globally and yet this frontline is going unreported how ordinary people and ordinary places without the state, council or church support have out of fresh air build a logistics network, a food and support network is a truly inspirational story worthy to be told, all our film team are local and have worked at the highest level in the film and TV sector but due to lock down and having been inspired by these events are making the film. We welcome interest from TV-Film commissioners, media to buy this film for broadcast as we move into week 2 of filming what we hope will be the first Documentary film that is so inspirational that will inspire and recognise those on this frontline going globally unrecognised. One day One Community one amazing story.

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