Intouch Games’ very own Lizzie Jones tells us her experience of volunteering at Worcester Street Kitchen.
Worcester Street Kitchen is a charity based in the West Midlands that provides warm clothes, hot food and drinks and essentials to those in need. Every Sunday, a small team of volunteers gather to cook and serve healthy and nutritious meals to those that come to the kitchen. This team of generous volunteers includes Intouch Games’ very own Communications Executive, Lizzie Jones.
Eager to find out what spending an evening at Worcester Street Kitchen involves, we took this perfect opportunity to speak to Lizzie about just what a Sunday night at the Kitchen entails.
Talk us through your evening
So, my first experience at Worcester Street Kitchen was with Caroline (CEO of IGF). I don’t do anything on a Sunday evening and thought it was a good opportunity to get more involved with the charity. I took my mum along, and I’ll admit that before I went, I was scared! I didn’t really know what to expect. But everyone was so lovely and welcoming, I was soon at ease, laughing and joking with people from all kinds of backgrounds.
I left my house at 5.15 pm, arrived at 6 and by 7, we were already packing up again.
It was addictive! And now, I go every single week!
What are the people like?
Honestly, it’s not what I was expecting. People were polite and respectful; they know we are there to help them out. I even made friends with a young guy who lived on a roundabout!
As the weather is getting colder, I brought a bag of clothes along with me that I had collected. People were looking through it carefully, trying things on and putting them back, etc. Everyone was really respectful.
There are only 2 people allowed in at a time. People queue and are squirted with hand sanitiser before they come in, so everything is kept super safe.
Who uses the kitchen?
The kitchen isn’t just for homeless people! It is for anyone who needs it! We don’t turn a single person away. The people who come could be homeless people, or they could be people who work full time and for whatever reason need an extra meal. It’s just basically anyone who needs it who is struggling.
We serve around 90 people a week and some of those are as young as 17!
What food is there?
The food varies depending on what ingredients Val (the person who runs the kitchen) has been donated. It could be anything from lasagne to casserole or curry! There are always 2 options a week and there is always a pudding and a hot drink available, too. I love doing the hot drinks because I really like putting all the squirty cream on top! The food is always really yummy, too!
We also supply things like toiletries and essentials to people who need them and we also accommodate special requests, like dry socks or torches. People are very polite and very grateful. Val also collects food that’s about to go off and gives it out to people there. We never take anything home!
How can you see the difference it makes to people?
It really makes people’s day. But not just that! You feel like you have come away making someone’s weekend!
What would you say to people unsure about volunteering?
It’s so much nicer than you might be expecting! And it’s a much better way to spend a Sunday evening, rather than just watching Netflix! You get to talk to people and have really great conversations all about people’s lives!
People are always happy, smiley, polite and grateful and there is never any trouble.
How can people help?
Come along and give it a go! You can also make a donation from as little as £5 to this specific charity (For Intouch Games staff, this can be taken monthly from your pay). Or you can become a Friend of Intouch Global Foundation.
Feel free to contact me if you need any questions answered!
Thank you, Lizzie! It has been wonderful to hear a first-hand insight into what it is like to volunteer at such a special place.
To get involved with Worcester Street Kitchen and put a smile on someone’s face every Sunday evening, follow Lizzie’s advice, and use the form on the Contact Us page on this site, or contact her directly!
