Emmie’s Kitchen is a family-run initiative in the heart of Manchester. They play a vital role in providing nourishment and support to parents with poorly children in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Jacqueline, one of the driving forces behind Emmie’s Kitchen, highlighted the impact of their partnership with FareShare Greater Manchester:
We provide 80 snack bags which are delivered to the parents every Friday. Without the food donations provided by FareShare Greater Manchester the parents may not have anything to eat. The families really look forward to getting the snack bags on a Friday and say it feels like a normal evening, where they can get together and enjoy the food and have their siblings join in with them.
Emmie’s Kitchen has redistributed 8400kg of food from FareShare GM since June 2020. However, their work extends beyond the snack bags. They also deliver weekly takeaways, where families are treated to indulgent meals like fish and chips or Indian curries. Some parents have had to endure their children being hospitalised for extended periods, sometimes spanning years. In these difficult times, the Friday snack bags become something for families to look forward to. They can last for several days. With access only to a kettle and a microwave, the fresh fruits, ambient goods, and ready-made meals provided by FareShare Greater Manchester provide access to food, without parents needing to purchase food from the supermarket, which could be a financial burden during an already stressful period.
Emmie, the namesake of the organisation, recently won the Young Volunteer of the Year Award at the Spirit of Manchester Awards. You can watch their video in this Spirit of Manchester Awards feature.
