Although we need to consider or own situation, and that of our family, in these difficult times, David Young, the President of Torrevieja Charity ‘Reach Out’ fears the needy and the homeless are likely to go hungry if additional help is not provided very soon by supporters, friends and members of the general public.
“Although our volunteers are still just about managing to provide a meal a day and a drink to over 50 people we only have enough food for the next few days after which we will have no alternative other than to withdraw the service,” he told The Leader.
“We are providing the meal, together with a drink, at 1.00pm in plastic tubs, but I don’t know how much longer we will be able to cope. We are in need of volunteers and we are desperately short of food. Indeed if anyone has food we could use and it is still in date we can pick up in our Peugeot 807.”
David said that the charity has placed a trolley in the foyer of Torrevieja’s Overseas.es (Iceland) Supermarket so if shoppers would like to help they can do so by donating food, water or cleaning materials.
“Our stocks of Rip top tins and small bottles of water are very low and our cooks say we need Lentils, beans, meat and vegetables for the daily cookup. Indeed any donation, no matter how small, would be most welcome, so please do what you can to help us help the homeless,” he added.
Because the charity shops are closed, Reach Out currently have no income and although they have asked for a Government grant to help them continue, even if approved it is not likely to arrive any time soon.
The Torrevieja Town Hall say that they will help the charity where they can and they have authorised Reach Out to provide Certificates for Volunteers to get past Police checks.
But although the Government will eventually pay 75% of wages for charity staff under the decree David says that without any income it will be extremely difficult to find the money for utilities and rent.
Limited supplies are still trickling in from the EU foodbank in Alicante but most of the charity’s Volunteers are over 60 years of age, and can only help from afar.
So if you can help either by volunteering at the Torrevieja centre for a few hours a week or by making a cash or any other donation your efforts will be extremely welcome.
Contact the charity by telephone at 965 71 30 63, send a message through the Reach Out Facebook page or Davy Young by email at: president@reachouttorrevieja.eu
