Although we sadly weren’t able to run a lot of our usual projects during the pandemic, that didn’t stop us from helping out our local community - we wanted to adapt to the situation and come up with new ways we could help those who were struggling.
As a result, we teamed up with our sister charity Innovate Trust as well as Safer Wales, a charity based in Cardiff which supports people who have suffered from abuse, exploitation and hate crime. Working together, we set out to deliver food packages to both Innovate Trust and Safer Wales beneficiaries who were vulnerable and/or self-isolating.
We recruited some amazing new volunteers, Alys and Daisy, who alongside Innovate Trust and Safer Wales volunteers offered to help with delivering food packages prepared by FareShare Cymru. They delivered the food packages to those who needed it across Cardiff, all while maintaining social distancing measures and wearing full PPE to make sure they were kept safe while volunteering.
Daisy had just moved here from New Zealand and had hoped to start teaching, but instead used her time to volunteer. Here’s what she said:
[Text Wrapping Break]"I got involved in the delivery driver project as I moved to Cardiff just before lockdown. I had a lot of free time and a car available to use so I wanted to do my bit to help out during the crisis. I'm so happy I could contribute in a small way that hopefully made a big difference to the individuals receiving the food parcels. It was all very well organised and PPE and safety measures were in place to help keep everyone safe during this time."
Similarly, Alys said that she had lots of spare time over lockdown and wanted to help out those who needed it:
"I volunteered for SVC to assist Safer Wales with food deliveries to people in need during the lockdown. As I was on furlough I had plenty of time on my hands and I was looking for ways to help during the pandemic. The delivery system that was set up was very well organised and I found it very simple and easy to take part. It was a great experience and I enjoyed working with such kind and helpful people."
Thank you to Daisy and Alys, as well as the volunteers from Innovate Trust and Safer Wales who did a fantastic job in helping those who needed it during the pandemic. Volunteers are even more important during times of crisis, and so all of your hard work is hugely appreciated.
If you’d like to know what projects we’re currently running to help the community or want to get involved with SVC, check out our list of projects here: https://www.svcymru.org/projects
