Our awesome parish administrator, Rae Haylock, is running 100km in October 2022 to raise funds for our Soul Food outreach project. Soul Food provides two-course, nutritious, generous takeaway meals, free of charge, to Halstead residents in any sort of need. Around 40 meals are cooked each week, and those who collect them are offered a friendly smile and listening ear as well as a hearty meal. Soul Food has been in operation for around 15 months now, and in its first year served some 2000 meals to approximately 50 households. Those who book meals don't need to be referred or say what their particular need is: it might be food poverty, stress, shift working, illness in the family, or something else.
As part of the Gateway Project, run by St Andrew's Church Halstead, Soul Food uses the church hall kitchen facilities free of charge, and is provided with storage on site. Soul Food is generously supported by the local Foodbank and Fare Share who provide much of the food used, with fresh fruit and veg also coming from local gardens and allotments. However, some extra items need to be bought to provide a varied and tasty menu and to meet particular dietary needs, and funds are also needed from time to time to purchase packaging and kitchen equipment, and cleaning stuffs to maintain our food hygiene rating.
Soul Food is close to Rae's heart, as when their depression was bad, Soul Food meals helped to feed her family. So please support her as she runs to raise funds for the project - every donation really does help!