A WOMAN who helped to set up a community fridge said she feels “honoured” to help people in Chard who are struggling during the current cost-of-living crisis.
The Chard Community Fridge initiative started last week thanks to the work and the ideas of a group of volunteers operating from the Chard Community Hub on Fore Street.
Cath Morrison, one of the founding members, explained the initiative started to help people in and around Chard.
She said: “It was one of the aims of the Chard Community Hub when they first set it up.
“We helped people with food during the Covid pandemic, we were doing food boxes and helped around 138 families a month. It all started from there.
“The Community Fridge works with donations that can come from the general public or from some businesses.
“People can just come to the hub if they are struggling, no questions asked.
“This week I would say we helped between 60 to 70 people or families within the area.”
The cost-of-living crisis was not the only factor that made the Community Fridge important for the area.
Cath added: “There’s a large deprived area so the cost-of-living crisis is going to have a huge impact on families who are already struggling but we are here to help and support.”
The Community Fridge provides tinned food, cooked meat, fresh vegetables, and other food items, but also hygiene products, and shampoos.
Lidl supermarket also contributed to food donations.
The Community Hub also hosts a repair shop, sewing hub, and other initiatives to help the community and bring residents together.
Cath also said: “I feel honoured. I am a person who is lucky enough to be able to help other people and I got contact with all the agencies.
"We [at the hub] all got different experiences and different knowledge that we can use to improve the community.
“We are looking to get the food pantry up and running and we are trying to work with the museum and the church to help the community.
“We are working so that people can feel proud to be in Chard and don’t have to go to Taunton or Yeovil for help.”
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