The COVID pandemic continues to have an impact on the most vulnerable members of our communities and deprived areas around the globe, many important and essential services have had to shut down that so many people relied on to help them help themselves.
Make it Happen have remained open throughout both lockdown periods, becoming a vital pillar to our community, providing a unique service and a safe place people can rely on. Our shop would not have been able to meet the demand that we have had without the support of the wider community.
But, what if the shop wasn't around during COVID for some? What would some people have done without the shop, and how has the shop helped others during this period? What happened to us during COVID?
One of our customers explained: "Without Make It Happen, I would have had to resort to food banks or soup kitchens. Because of the current pandemic, I'd lost my paid job and had a family to feed." We were able to help this customer out by gifting food hampers to allow her to feed her family. The shop has helped a lot of our community by offering massively discounted food in our Pay As You Feel Shop.
Additionally, some of our volunteer staff members have told us that it's helped them with their mental health, by having a place they can keep busy during the pandemic. One, without the shop would have to walk for a while in order to get food without the use of transport. The locality of the shop allows them to easily access food at a very affordable price and improve their mental health without having interactions with others.
Other customers have told us that without the shop, they would have not have had any place to go during the pandemic due to the lockdown; with it affecting their mental health and not have anyone to talk to.
Over the first spike of the pandemic, we had donated 100 hampers to families and households and received lots of donations which allowed us to redistribute to many: over 1,500 bags redistributed to other communities under our ethos of Give & Gain.
If you have had a positive experience and would like to leave some feedback or leave a review, we would really appreciate that. Simply pop into our shop in the heart of Market Street and speak to our staff, or visit our Facebook page and leave us a message.
2021 is a new year, and it's a year of Making It Happen for many of us, so let's continue to Make It Happen!
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