Pell Frischmann Volunteers Help Feed Newham’s Community at the Carpenters and Dockland Centre

On Monday, three of our members from the London office travelled to the heart of Stratford, home to the Carpenters and Dockland Centre. 

The Carpenters and Dockland Centre’s Food Bank, managed by Samantha White, provides essential support to the most vulnerable, including low-income families, in the Newham area. Additionally, the centre operates as a youth, community, and social hub, offering valuable services to a wide range of residents. As well as providing sports facilities, the centre also offers a space for friendly chats and a free cup of tea, coffee or a substantial meal at the cafeteria for anyone who visits.

Furthermore, a large double-decker bus stationed at the centre every Monday will provide support, haircuts and dental care, free of cost to whoever needs it.
 

With a prompt start at 9 am, our team spread out to help, and Sabrina Mirza assisted full-time volunteers by packing food parcels, which usually include chilled meat goods, chilled halal meat goods, vegetarian chilled meals, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and essential pantry items. Several ‘homeless bags’ containing ready-to-eat items were also prepared. Colleagues Emmanuel Khortu and Charlotte Burrows helped with carrying, delivering, and distributing the food parcels to local residents, according to their dietary requirements and preferences.

At the centre, they’re committed to not letting any food go to waste, which is why they distribute any leftovers to other local charities and also hand them to the homeless, in the form of ‘homeless’ bags.

It was inspiring to be able to contribute towards the Carpenters and Dockland Centre’s admirable mission and to know that we brightened many people’s days and alleviated some of their distress, even by just a little.

Charlotte Burrows, our Buildings Undergraduate Engineer, said:

I had a fantastic day spent volunteering at the Carpenters and Docklands Centre’s Food Bank
alongside my Pell Frischmann colleagues. It was an incredibly rewarding experience
giving back to the local community and seeing the difference we can make!

Emmanuel Khortu, our Civils Structures Senior Engineer, said:

Volunteering at the Carpenters and Dockland Centre was a truly humbling experience.
Working alongside such a passionate team and seeing the immediate impact of
our efforts on the local community was very rewarding. It was inspiring to witness
the dedication of the staff and volunteers who give so much of their time and energy to support others.

Overall, it was an extremely productive day for the team, and we got to know first-hand the amazing group of people who work tirelessly to maintain the Carpenters and Dockland Centre with their energy, enthusiasm, and hard work. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we managed to feed over 100 people in the community in a single day!