There’s no food at home but, they have each other and Mr Bear.
With your help, we can help.
Some of the situations your support will be directly helping…
Abi’s Story
As a single parent, primary carer and without any family close by to help, Abi was unable to work. She was good at making the most of everything she had, but no matter how carefully she budgeted, there simply wasn’t enough. Too often she went without so her children could eat.
Support from Marketplace meant she could feed her family properly and save a little so she could provide some extras for her children. She found friendship and connection when she had no other support nearby. The team even helped arrange Christmas presents for the children when it would have been impossible for Abi to do so. She was so grateful!
With support and encouragement from the team, once Abi’s youngest started school she was able to find employed work and move forward. Marketplace had been a lifeline to her through a really challenging time in her life.
Mark’s Story
When Mark came to the basics bank, he had run out of food and little money to buy more. Living with severe diabetes and kidney failure, he was unable to work and relied on dialysis. His health struggles had left him feeling exhausted and hopeless with little interest in shopping, cooking or even eating.
The SCM Basics Bank provided immediate support, ensuring he had something to eat, but then referred him to his local SCM Marketplace for further help. The Marketplace team and community provided weekly practical, personalised support to help him diversify his diet, try new foods and learn to prepare nutritious, enjoyable meals. They shared cooking skills, offered encouragement and helped him understand how dietary choices could support his health. He was no longer doing it alone.
Mark has gradually regained confidence, enjoys food again and his diabetes has significantly improved. His doctor is really pleased how well he is now managing his health and slowing his kidney deterioration.
SCM projects help people with nutrition, cooking, budgeting, relationships, health, belonging and lots more.
It all starts with a simple bag of groceries to say…
Love from your friends and neighbours in Southampton
and we’ll send the groceries for you
Bella’s Story
Bella was struggling with complex health issues and daily challenges of life on a low income. For two years, as a Marketplace member, she found, not only help to make ends meet, but understanding of how to bring calm to her chaos.
The team firstly addressed her most urgent need which was practical help of subsidised food, and support on how to budget. But once she was in a more stable position, what she found were people she could talk to, a community she was comfortable in, and a space where she felt welcomed, accepted and safe. She was no longer isolated and spiraling into disarray, she had people to look out for her and somewhere she genuinely loved being.
That feeling of belonging was so powerful that, within a year, she began attending the church that runs the Marketplace. She later joined a weekly Bible study group forming new bonds and deeper connection. Then as she learned to budget & manage her money more confidently, she no longer needed subsidised food support and chose to step back so that there was a place for someone else to receive the same opportunity she had been given.
But, rather than saying goodbye, she now volunteers at Marketplace as a sign-poster, chatting with others & drawing on her own experience to help them find the support they need.
SCM Marketplaces don’t just provide food, that’s simply where the journey begins.
You could donate groceries by making a REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR
Completing a Reverse Advent Calendar is easy and fun, especially with children. Just get a big empty box and for each day of Advent running from 1st to 24th December, instead of opening a door or taking out a gift, place a food gift into the box which you would like to donate for someone in need.
For a list of the latest items we need, and where to drop off the items when your calendar is complete, please take a look here
Here are some other ways to give.
Anything you can give will make a big difference! Thank you for your support.
