Okehampton is expanding, and many new families do not know the history of our Food Bank. Strangely, considering the prevalence of food banks in the UK today, they were largely unknown before 1967 when the first one opened in the US. In 1983, just two food banks were operating in Britain. However, following the financial crisis of the 1990s, there were still only 30, but today that number has now exceeded 2000.
In 2011, because of the closure of three local businesses, more than 300 people lost their jobs. This affected 20% of the population in and around Okehampton. Consequently, Okehampton Baptist Church Food Bank went from providing one or two parcels a week to 50, literally overnight.
Our vision is an Okehampton where everyone has enough to eat because, freedom from hunger is critical to the future economic, social, and emotional health of our community. Please help us with our work.
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them. “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:15-17
Our values at OBC Food Bank:
We are a Christian community, and will operate first and foremost by Christian teaching; we make no apology for this.
Okehampton Food Bank is an outreach mission of OKEHAMPTON BAPTIST CHURCH
It is our goal to meet the needs of all who are suffering economic food poverty.
We have an accountability to the public trust placed in us by building sustainable, responsible, effective, fiscally efficient, and intelligent actions to meet hunger needs.