A CHARITY providing food for families in Reading is urgently appealing for help.
To continue to serve a growing number of people facing food insecurity, The Way Ministry is asking for help to buy a van, and for suitable premises to store food, including frozen items.
“Our mission is to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry, but we are at a tipping point,” said Grace Gomez, chairperson and founder of the Way Ministry Reading.
“To keep up with the rising demand, we urgently need a suitable space to store the donated surplus food over the weekend.
“We also need a transit van to transport food from the supermarkets and to our weekly drop-in service.”
The charity has experienced a significant increase in demand over the past year, with more households relying on food parcels and free food to make ends meet.
Their current arrangements are no longer adequate to store and distribute the volume of surplus food received.
And the lack of a van limits the amount of food that can be picked up every week.
Currently, every week, up to six volunteers use their own cars to pick up surplus food from supermarkets.
The charity seeks premises with good access, and enough space to store both ambient and frozen food.
Ideally, there would be sufficient parking and easy access for volunteers to drop off and pick up the surplus food donations.
A reliable transit van will help the group to collect food from supermarkets to take it to a drop-in centre.
The Way is asking local businesses, community groups, and individuals to help in any way they can, by offering a premises for lease or donation, donating a van or providing financial support for its purchase, and by spreading the word about their urgent appeal.
“Every little bit will help,” said Grace.
“Whether it’s connecting us with someone who has a suitable space, donating toward a van, or simply sharing our story, the community’s support is what keeps us going.”
The charity has been helping individuals and families experiencing homelesness, poverty and financial hardship for 12 years.
In the last 18 months its volunteers have collected and distributed more than 59,167kg of food, equal to 139, 284 meals.
For more information and to offer support, people should call: 07410 622399, email: thewayministryreading@outlook.com, or visit: thewayministryreading.co.uk
