Ahead of this year’s World Hunger Day on Sunday 28th May, Iman Nasser from the Caritas Food Programme visited multiple food projects in the diocese, to investigate the potential for these initiatives to make an impact within the local community. Nasser reports on her day volunteering with FoodCycle in White City, where she witnessed the power of a meal to bring people together.
‘On Saturday 6th May I visited Our Lady of Fatima parish in White City, where I joined a team of volunteers in hosting the FoodCycle community dining service that takes place every Saturday at 1pm.
‘FoodCycle is a charity that uses sustainable, safely-sourced surplus food to create three-course meals in various community centres, where they are served for free to anyone who wishes to join. Meals take place weekly, often in church halls, with the project at Our Lady of Fatima being the first to run in the Diocese of Westminster.
‘Hailing from a range of cultures and backgrounds, FoodCycle volunteers can choose to support any community meal across the charity’s 70 projects. The White City team consisted of two project leaders, four cooks and seven hosts, all of whom were energetic, approachable and friendly.
‘The volunteers arrived between 10 and 11.30am, and the day began with a quick briefing before we started to cook and set up. This particular meal happened to fall on the same day as the King’s Coronation, and the dining hall looked especially festive after being decorated with bunting, cakes provided by the parish, and a large screen to view the event via live-stream. The doors opened early on this occasion, allowing guests to come in and watch the ceremony over a cup of tea.
‘As excited diners trickled in, volunteers flitted about adding finishing touches to the dining space, the cooks worked busily in the kitchen, and the hosting team carefully compiled food bags for guests to take home. In total, we prepared 65 food bags, containing fruit, cereal bars, milk and milkshakes.
‘By 12.30pm, some 40 to 60 guests of all ages had made their way to the tables, and at 1pm, it was time for the main event — a delicious three-course meal.’
- Starter: sandwiches with a choice of fillings (chickpea, avocado and tomato)
- Main: spaghetti with tomato sauce, accompanied by a couscous and mixed-vegetable salad
- Dessert: fruit salad and homemade banana bread
‘The atmosphere was lively and joyful, with many volunteers taking a seat and staying to chat with diners. Several guests commented on how much of an asset the FoodCycle meal was to the local community, and were grateful for the opportunity to socialise as well as enjoy a nutritious meal.’
‘The service came to an end at 2pm, and each guest received a food bag as they exited the hall. After that, the flurry of activity resumed as volunteers washed utensils, tidied the hall and added leftovers to compost bins, leaving the parish hall as they had found it by 3pm. To close the day, the team held a final group meeting, where team leaders thanked all the volunteers for their hard work.
Nasser’s time with the White City FoodCycle project highlighted the importance of food outreach as a source of companionship and engagement, a need that is not always addressed by other services such as food banks. FoodCycle’s welcoming, communal dining format promotes an approach to food outreach that values the whole human person beyond their most basic needs, fostering a sense of dignity and unity among guests and volunteers alike.
Caritas is delighted to see the great work taking place at Our Lady of Fatima, and would love to support more parishes and schools in opening their doors to FoodCycle volunteers.
Find out more about FoodCycle White City here.
Interested in having a FoodCycle community meal at your parish or school? Get in touch with the Caritas Food Programme team at cfc@rcdow.org.uk
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