The Rec Club is storing food for NHS staff working round-the-clock at the Royal Free

AS the New Journal van pulled into Queen’s Crescent, an elderly man watched us carefully. At first he was too shy to approach our volunteers, as we unloaded fresh food to the neighbourhood’s crisis centre.

But we helped him by starting the conversation, and noticing how interested he looked in the food we had in the van. Abdul Alim, originally from Afghanistan, told us in broken English how hungry he was and how hard he had found the past two months.

We passed on groceries to show him he is not alone.

And while we helped him, another resident looked on and found the courage to speak to us.

Paraskevou Apostolopoulos, 85, moved to London from Cyprus in 1955 and worked as a factory machinist. She lives in Gospel Oak, and her children live outside London – two of them nurses in the NHS. She said: “People are looking out for me, but no one is in a good position themselves.”

We made sure Ms Apostolopoulos, who is a regular at the nearby community centre’s lunch club, had a well-stocked kitchen – thanks to our readers’ donations – and took our contact details.

Paraskevou Apostolopoulos

If she needs a bit of help again, the New Journal will be there for her.

As well as individual drops to households, we’ve been to the Royal Free Hospital’s club, known as “the Rec”, in Fleet Road, to deliver fresh bread and cakes.

The club’s sports hall has been turned into a temporary “supermarket”, with around 1,500 workers using the facility. Rec Club worker Lee Robinson said: “It has been very busy and very successful. Staff are so grateful for everyone’s support.”

Cllr Marcus Boyland helps the relief effort in Queen’s Crescent and, below, the work continues for Co-Operation Town in Kentish Town

Co-Operation Town, based in the Ingestre Road community centre, Kentish Town was set up last year to help tackle food poverty. And since the lockdown, they have delivered more than 150 bags each week to people in need.

Packed with goodies, the New Journal helped top them up this week with cans, bread and cereals.

Organiser Shiri Shalmy said the crisis had highlighted underlying issues concerning food poverty in Camden: “The crisis will not end when lockdown is lifted, just as the crisis of many not having enough to eat didn’t begin in March. People were hungry then – and they are getting hungrier.”

And as demand has gone up, supplies are becoming more scarce, added Ms Shalmy. Some aid comes from the Felix Project charity, which uses supermarket surpluses – but they have had to maintain stock with the help of others.

Ms Sharmy said: “We have a donor who buys one big food shop for us every Tuesday.”

Ibo Aksu at the Bold Cafe in York Rise which has helped us with storage

Hot meals delivered by the New Journal, teaming up with curry house Monsoon, have been lifting spirits every Monday. Monsoon have now donated more than 600 meals, and this week the delicious deliveries once again filled stomachs and brought smiles to more then 30 families.

Monsoon have donated free meals every week of the crisis

Gospel Oak Labour councillor Marcus Boyland has been helping distribute twice-weekly drops to homes for the Queen’s Crescent Community Association. He said: “We have had a lot of donations from independent local shops who want to support their community.”

For Cllr Boyland, it isn’t solely about making sure a table isn’t bare.

He added: “For people who can’t get out, or find it hard to queue, having someone to talk to is so important.”