Maggie Cox
Appearances
The Planet Reigate Podcast
45: Awards for 700+ years of local volunteering… and more
Maggie Cox. It's Loveworks, the local food bank, and we're very short of volunteers if there's anybody out there. Demand is growing due to all the cost of living, etc. And we accept donations from the public. Me personally, I'm really a food bank volunteer, but I've been giving out the food, which is pre-packed according to the size of the family and their tastes.
The Planet Reigate Podcast
45: Awards for 700+ years of local volunteering… and more
If they don't like chicken soup, they don't get chicken soup. And... basically making them welcome and non-judgmental. I mean that's actually one of the jobs I seem to get is to actually greet the newcomers who will be afraid of us and embarrassed and I quite like to do that because I can imagine how awful it is. I've been round the block myself a few times. And I feel it's something I can do.
The Planet Reigate Podcast
45: Awards for 700+ years of local volunteering… and more
And just being, hopefully, warm and friendly. I actually worked in the Oxfam bookshop for quite a long time. I could imagine how awful it might be. My husband and I have been married a very long time. We had young children in a Fenland village. No such thing as a food bank. We managed somehow, but it would have been nice to have a tin of peaches once in a while.
The Planet Reigate Podcast
45: Awards for 700+ years of local volunteering… and more
A tin of peaches was a luxury to me when I was really hard up. And we get given things like crisps and chocolate and things that people have got at home and perhaps they don't want. And they can come pick up their normal parcel and choose an extra or two. It's so important.
The Planet Reigate Podcast
45: Awards for 700+ years of local volunteering… and more
Yes, of course it would, yes.
The Planet Reigate Podcast
45: Awards for 700+ years of local volunteering… and more
I enjoyed it very much. I was a bit kind of polar, I would say, to have been chosen. I don't do it for my sake, but that's a side effect. I do feel good that I can. And it's appreciated. I try to put myself in the place of the people we are supporting. Unable to feed your children? Awful.