“When you treat someone with dignity, they go away happy.”

 

Since its foundation three and a half years ago, 3FOOD4U has grown to become the largest food emergency agency in Essex, winning the BBC Essex Make a Difference award. I spoke to Pesh Kapasiawala, founder of the charity, Loughton Town citizen of the year, British Citizen of the Year (2023) and most recently the winner of the Prime Minister’s ‘Points of Light Award,’ about the ways in which the charity supports the 2,000 local families that rely on its work every week. 

He highlighted that the food bank seeks to treat people with respect and restore their dignity. The average food bank in this country requires a referral which can be a financially and personally intrusive process. In addition, most food banks in the UK are open for only two days a week, offering tinned food that has been prepared weeks in advance. Most cruelly, though, these organisations tend to use “carrot and stick” tactics to pressure regular users of the food bank to haul themselves out of financial struggle into a state of self-sufficiency. By stark contrast, 3FOOD4U asks no personal questions of its customers. Its branches in Chigwell, Loughton, Waltham Abbey and Haringey are also open all week round, encouraging locals to return again and again to a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental community. 90% of the food they provide is fresh, rather than canned, and is laid out as in a supermarket, giving visitors the dignity of choosing which food they would like to take home. Again, this contrasts to most other food banks who do not allow for choice. In this way, 3FOOD4U seeks to avoid the stigma attached to “food banks”, a phrase which Pesh said had “negative connotations.” Instead, 3FOOD4U is referred to as a “community surplus hub.”

In addition to 300 local volunteers (around 10X the number that you would expect of a charity of this size) its branches also have an on-site counsellor and financial advisor which sees a holistic approach to improving standard of living taken.

 

Not only does 3FOOD4U benefit the quality of life of the poorest inhabitants of North London and Essex, it also does so in an environmentally sustainable way. According to Pesh, the majority of the food used would otherwise be wasted by large supermarkets with much of the packaging sent to landfill sites. Therefore, its process does not contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases and global warming. The charity also aims to recycle household items that are quickly disposed of by those of us who are fortunate enough to have them, such as toys and furniture. 

 

When asked for a specific example of how 3FOOD4U had turned someone’s life around, Pesh told me the story of a mother who he had met in Ongar whose husband was in hospital, placing the family in a position of financial struggle. According to Pesh, she had been reluctant to seek help from a food bank for months – “a lot of people don’t understand the emotions involved with seeking help in this way.” However, after visiting 3FOOD4U, her life has improved significantly. A year later, she no longer feels any shame in seeking help from charity and was brave enough to speak about her experiences at a celebration event. Pesh attributes this to the sense of community that has been created whereby “social events including 70-80 families” take place.

 

It is also clear that the connection between 3FOOD4U and Chigwell School remains strong with students often volunteering during Activities’ Week and annual donations sent at harvest time. 

 

Sadly, poverty is worsening on a national scale due to the cost of living crisis but the work of everyone linked to 3FOOD4U is a shining example that we can all be doing more to support members of our community who are less fortunate than ourselves.