Salvation Army packs special VE day food parcels in Maldon

The Salvation Army has mobilised alongside Maldon District Council, Maldon District Community Voluntary Service and other local partners to provide food parcels for families in need. They have delivered over 450 food parcels* since the start of the lockdown measures, as well as picking up prescriptions and delivering them as part of a comprehensive package of services, responding to local need. 

Parcels distributed around VE Day will also include a poster, which recipients can put up their window to show support for those who gave so much during WW2.  Local volunteers and The Salvation Army have worked together to deliver the parcels to families, who have been adversely affected by the lockdown. The volunteers have delivered some food parcels daily to those especially vulnerable, or not able to buy food. 

The Salvation Army’s leader in Maldon, Lieutenant Jon Doyle said: “We’ve been working together with other partners to deliver a comprehensive response to our community. The Salvation Army is always there for people in need and we take our inspiration from Jesus to include everyone in what we do and offer practical support. We supported Maldon during wartime and now, during the lockdown of coronavirus, which is having devastating consequences for local people and their children. Without the help of local businesses such as SILO, Maldon Books and the supermarkets Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Tesco, we wouldn’t be able to provide these food parcels and other services, we are so thankful to them for their support.”

The Salvation Army corps were based in Church Street, Maldon during WW2 and hosted a VE Day party there.  The corps provided mobile canteens (for tea and snacks) and were often onsite at bomb sites and aircraft crashes offering their support. They also visited RAF Bradwell Bay. The corps at Burnham operated a mobile canteen in the Dengie Peninsular.

Cllr Adrian Fluker, Leader of Maldon District Council, said; “Sadly, our plans to mark this important anniversary with a bank holiday weekend of events had to be postponed, but we will be proudly flying a VE Day flag at the council offices in Maldon and one in Burnham-on-Crouch to demonstrate our support for this occasion”.

*typical food parcel includes – Pasta, rice, pasta sauces, tinned vegetables, meats, tinned fish and soups, milk, bread, eggs, fresh fruit and other food stuffs as available.