OX4 FREE FOOD CREW

The OX4 Free Food Crew is a brand new partnership between Ark-T, Waste2Taste Flo’s – The Place in the Park, and Oxford Hub, which we have set up to alleviate food poverty for people affected by COVID-19.

Our organisations are passionate about ensuring that those most in need at this time can receive the warmth, love and comfort which comes from healthy home-cooked food.

Ark-T will be providing cooked meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12 noon and 2pm from The Venue on Barns Road OX4 3RQ

Flo’s will be providing cooked meals on Wednesdays and Saturdays 12 noon to 2pm from Flo’s The Place in the Park, Rymers Lane, OX4 3JZ

Referrals: Oxford Hub are organising distribution through their networks to the people who need it most. If you know someone in need of a cooked meal please use this online referral link: https://forms.gle/NCjG6xaGukcgBjVK6

We want to prioritise cooked meals for the following people:
• Isolated people over 70 and those with underlying health conditions
• Isolated single parent families
• People who are homeless or vulnerably housed

We will look to increase delivery according to demand and funding.  Initially we will make and distribute 120 delicious hot meals a week and work with referral partners, including Donnington Doorstep, Oxford Together and East Oxford Hub who will prioritise families and elderly people in need. Now is a time for deeper collaboration between organisations and now is the time to work intensively at a local level to make a difference. We are working with a range of other organisations to make this possible including Good Food Oxford, Donnington Doorstep and Florence Park Community Centre who are preparing weekly meals on a Friday for their older persons community. We would like to thank SOFEA for supporting us through their food distribution scheme. They will provide the fresh produce and The Oxford City Council Hub based at East Oxford Community Centre who will support with transport. Feeding people with nourishing meals, feeding people with hope and feeding people with community spirit will be our priority and we will do all we can to ensure OX4 comes through this together, strong, healthy and loved.

A note on food and COVID-19: There is currently no evidence to suggest that transmission occurs through the foodborne route. We are scrupulous about food hygiene and always do everything we can to maintain our 5-star hygiene rating. All our packaging is biodegradable: please dispose of it responsibly. We recommend people either move it to another dish, discard packaging and re-heat OR freeze it for use another day.

With warm wishes,
Emmy (ARK-T), Marie and Sandra (Waste2Taste), Helen and Davide (Flos), Nicola (Donnington Doorstep)

See all the details about this initiative here: OX4-Free-Food-Crew-final-draft-1-4