It’s Harvest Thanksgiving this Sunday (October 1st 2017). As usual, at the 10am Family Service we shall be collecting for St Mary’s Convent and for The Upper Room. You can find a full list of what the Upper Room needs below. The list is also on the Charities’ Board at the back of the Church. Please be generous.
The Upper Room is one of the three charities we as a church have chosen to support. Based in Shepherd’s Bush, it is a front-line charity working with socially and economically disadvantaged people. Its team works with ex-offenders and the homeless, amongst others, to help them improve their lives and social conditions, and gain the self-confidence to become economically independent and productive members of society.
The charity helps over 1,500 different people every year and, amongst other things, serves over 26,000 hot, nutritious meals. At Harvest time we try to offer extra support by collecting items which they need for this extraordinary operation. These things are needed throughout the year of course, so please keep them in mind. To find out more, take a look at their website.
Please bring your contributions along on Harvest Sunday, 1st October. Have a look at home or add a few extra items to your shopping trolley. A list of what they need (and don’t need) is below.
Foods with a past sell-by-date cannot be accepted. They prefer tinned food with at least 12 months remaining for consumption.
Thank you for this practical support.
SMAAA Charities Group
| Tinned foods | Fish (salmon or tuna), meat, fruit, vegetables, tomatoes, tomato puree, pulses |
| Dry goods |
Sugar (granulated or castor), dried herbs, stock cubes (veg, chicken, beef) & bouillon powder, ground pepper, salt; Plain flour, powdered potato, lasagne, lentils, chickpeas SWEET biscuits (not crackers or cheese biscuits) |
| Other | Pasta sauces, olive oil, cooking oil, soya sauce, vinegar (white wine, balsamic, apple) |
| Beverages | Instant coffee, long life milk, squashes, juices |
| Cleaning |
Bleach, anti-bacterial all-purpose cleaning spray, disinfectant, Milton steriliser, toilet cleaner, toilet bowl rim blocks, toilet cistern blocks, antibacterial hand wash and hand gel (big dispenser bottle preferred); Large strong black garbage bags and bin liners Rubber gloves (large/medium), latex/hygiene loves Washing up liquid, large sponges, kitchen towels (catering size if poss.), toilet rolls |
| Catering | Cling film and aluminium foil (catering size), plastic/metal cutlery (esp. spoons and forks), soup bowls, plates, plastic tea spoons, paper cups, take-away containers |
| Toiletries | Disposable razors, shaving foam/gel, toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel, body lotions (small sizes preferably), soap, deodorants, pocket size packets of tissues |
| Clothing, etc | Trainers, shoes (good condition), new men’s and women’s t-shirts, new underwear and socks, winter coats, hats and gloves; sleeping bags, blankets |
Items in bold are the most useful
Please not….. loose tea, breakfast foods (cereal, porridge, jams), tinned spaghetti/macaroni cheese, any wholemeal pasta, spaghetti, cannelloni, unusual size pastas, chutneys, pickles, chilli sauce, bbq sauce, dried pulses which need soaking, baked beans!
