A free food program that provides meals to over 80 households each week is searching for a new home after being given just four weeks’ notice to vacate their current base.
The Sorell Free Food Program have been told they can no longer use the Sorell Anglican Church from the end of the month.
Coordinator Kristian Horvath says the program has been running for six months and primarily serves single mothers, elderly people with mobility challenges and even some people with mortgages who are struggling financially.
“One of my neighbours were struggling and there was no real services that she could access,” Horvath told ABC Radio Hobart.
“She was a single mom at home and she couldn’t actually go to some of the services in the area and so we realised there’s a massive demand for not only people to access the services, but people to have these items delivered to them because they just couldn’t leave the house very easily.”
60 of the program’s food packs are delivered each week by volunteers, while the remaining 20 are available for pick-up at the church on Wednesday nights.
Horvath says the program provides essential food items, pet food and free lawn mowing.
The program is entirely funded through crowdsourcing, with 30 local businesses and individuals donating a total of just over $200 each week.
“We currently have about $220 a week, that’s fully crowdfunded because I think there’s such a need but also I think a lot of people just really love the idea of donating local,” Horvath said.
“We’re all volunteers and so 100% of our funds go directly to buying food for people.”
The program’s search for a new home comes as cost-of-living pressures continue to impact families across the state.
“We just need a room, we don’t need fridges,” Horvath said.
“Obviously we can’t afford too much money. Free is best. Any money we pay in rent … means that sort of we … can’t buy as much food for people.”
Horvath says the program will continue to operate each week no matter what.
“We’ll keep going … if we even have to have it in the park under a pergola we’ll be operating every week,” he said.
“A lot of families rely on us so we’ll make sure that every week we’ll be there and providing them some food.”
