Every week, the Food Outreach Programme run by St. Luke’s Church and St. Paul’s School helps put meals on the tables of struggling families across Maidstone. Thanks to surplus food from local supermarkets — and a dedicated team of volunteers — we’ve been able to distribute over 30,000 meals to those who need them most.

But none of this would have been possible without Darren.

We met Darren at a local soup kitchen. At the time, we were desperately looking for someone with a van — someone who could collect food from Tesco and Waitrose, and deliver it to homes and centres across the town. People were quietly going hungry, right here in our own community.

Darren stepped forward.

He became our volunteer driver — rain or shine, seven days a week. What’s more, he’s been covering the fuel costs himself, never once asking for anything in return. Without Darren and his trusty van, families across Maidstone wouldn’t have received the food parcels they rely on. Vulnerable individuals at Trinity House, the Day Centre, and many others would be going without.

But this week, Darren’s van broke down for the last time. It’s beyond repair and must now be scrapped.

And without a van, our outreach comes to a halt.

We can’t pick up supermarket donations. We can’t deliver meals to families in crisis. We can’t support the people who are already counting on their next food parcel.

We’re trying to raise £3,500 to get Darren a reliable second-hand van so he can get back on the road and back to helping others. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, we’ve already raised £2,500.

Now, we just need £1,000 more to close the gap.

If you’re able to help — whether it’s £5, £50, or even just sharing this story — it would mean the world to us. Every pound brings us one step closer to feeding families again.

With your support, we can get Darren back on the road — and get food back into the homes that need it most.

Thank you for standing with us.

Thank to everyone s generosity we have managed to buy a van so Darren can continue to support vulnerable people in need . 

Further donations will go towards fuel ⛽️ to continue collecting from stores to provide to our vulnerable community ❤️Thank you for all your support and generosity ❤️