Food poverty and welfare issues – sign the online petition
On Friday 6 November 2015, The Larder food bank in St Christopher’s, Mersey Street, Inner East Belfast, gave out emergency food to its 5000th person in under three years and the idea for a campaign was born.
The leaders and volunteers at The Larder (right) are gathering signatures to highlight food poverty and welfare issues and you can join them by signing an online petition addressed to our MLAs.
Boring Wells leader, Revd Adrian McCartney, says:
“We would love to gather 5000 signatures as part of our ‘Feeding the 5000 Day’ at the Larder food bank on 1 December. We will hand them over to the people who could help to make the changes needed to improve this situation:
“Our whole society needs to gently swing from the pursuit of personal gain to community well–being. We and other community–based groups will attempt this at grass roots level but would like to challenge the NI Assembly and individual MLAs to join us in the pursuit of a more equal society.”
Please take action now by signing the online petition at change.org
‘Shape the systems of welfare so that no one ever is forced to be hungry or cold’. Our statement reads:
At the original feeding of the 5000 Jesus said to his followers, “Give them something to eat.” We would like to apologise to all those who have less than they need because others want to keep more than we need. Would you, the policy makers, join with us in bringing about the changes that will make this apology more than words? We believe that qualities like compassion and generosity and kindness are valid motivations when making decisions about welfare and health and the economic policies associated with them.