Gran and peas
Gran's allotment joined directly to the garden of her ‘bought’ council house in Northfield, Birmingham. Gran and Grandad had grown vegetables and flowers there since the war and in the 70’s it was a place of joy for me. Early memories there were suffused with love, Gran popping indescribably delicious peas in my mouth as we collected vegetables for dinner. Moving forward in time, a different city but the same joy, with my boy lying on the ground eating warm strawberries from the plants in my own allotment.
Foodbanks and malnourishment on low incomes
There are many routes to vulnerability. Even with a reasonable education and long experience of useful and constructive work, the perfect storm combination of health issues and significant life challenges found me at the door of Food Bank some years ago.
The gift of food for my son and me was transformative in several ways. The direct experience evoked a profound gratitude for Food Bank and its volunteers and a real understanding of how people find themselves in food poverty. Recognised also, while the tinned and dried food given to us kept us from starving, it did little to nourish us. For most, prior to the emergency of a Food Bank visit, there is often an extended period of ‘making do’ which can mean stretching meals beyond adequate nutrition. At that most desperate of times, an onion, potato and some fresh greens can be literally life changing.
In the years since that first visit, I became and remain a regular volunteer at Leek and District Foodbank.
Love for the data collector and taking part
The greater part of my significant formal education was in Science and Maths. Early on it was apparent to me that our world stands heavily on the shoulders of data-collecting giants. This essential element of progress is open to all and I feel a responsibility to take part in documenting local environmental conditions as part of the bigger picture of global climate change. With minimal equipment, a permanent record can be added to the national climate records. Making connections and taking part in something bigger is good for us. It makes me happy.
Micro solutions to very local issues- no miles, no plastic
Tiny projects can have proportionally large, positive outcomes. It is about a mile from giftgarden to Food Bank. With my beloved heavy duty camping trolley, giftgarden was able to enrich tens of local families emergency food parcels with amazing, nutrient rich, super-fresh vegetables last year. No petrol/diesel, no plastic packaging, no pesticides, biodiversity enrichment, diet enrichment for families in food poverty, health and happiness enrichment for giftgarden volunteers. Motivation enough!
Ruby Sufi, February 2021.