The Porch Pantry is located in the Parish Church on Mersea Island. Almost 2 years ago now, in the summer of 2018, a few of us at Church with children of school age, embarked upon the summer holidays, concerned. Concerned that so many families who were reliant on the school hot meal were simply left to manage for 6 weeks with no support. We launched a weekly film club, inviting children and their carers to come and watch a film in the Church Hall whereby we provided a hot meal for them afterwards.

The idea of a mini food bank began with literally a few cans and a box of cereal. The idea was to encourage the same families to help themselves to items as they arrived/left the Church. By leaving items in the actual porch of the church enables anonymity and hopefully reduces any embarrassment. Furthermore, no eligibility' voucher is required and no one is overseeing you visit. Indeed, many people simply come to explore the Church so no-one really knows if someone is visiting, dropping off donations or indeed taking much needed food. What started as a very small initiative has really grown; at a significant rate. It took a while for people to actually acknowledge that there is a real need on the Island. That literally anyone can face hard times and need a little bit of help. Our hope is that awareness continues to grow and the Pantry continues to thrive. To reduce any stigma; to encourage us to be more real with one another. Many requests begin: I am so sorry to have to ask but Sadly, it has probably taken them days to send that message. It is hard to ask for help. For those who are unable to get to the Church, we can provide doorstop dropoffs. We can also shop specifically for a person/family using these incredible donations. It is both heartbreaking and humbling to see how this has become a lifeline for so many on the Island.

Thank YOU so much for supporting this much needed initiative.

Without you, it simply wouldn't survive.

Love Emma & The Team