The Mountains Soul Kitchen and Food Rescue is used to running on an oily rag but that is not enough to keep their van on the road.
They are looking for a sponsor – any takers would be guaranteed exposure as the van is regularly seen throughout the Mountains picking up and delivering food to people in need.
In the past year, Soul Kitchen provided more than 6000 free meals and food parcels as well as rescuing around 20,000 kilos of surplus food from going to landfill.
Rosa Del Ponte is the director of Earth Recovery Australia Ltd which operates the Soul Kitchen with the Uniting Church.
“We deal with ordinary people who struggle to manage rocketing housing costs,” she said. “It just takes a run of bad luck and anyone can end up homeless. One partner loses a job and the other gets sick and then in a matter of months they are on the streets. We have even helped a family of five who were living in a tent in the bush.”
The Soul Kitchen also helps the Sydney homeless who are riding the trains at night to stay safe and warm. “They hop off at Katoomba and come to us for a meal or to have a shower and launder their clothes,” said Ms Del Ponte.
She has now put out the call, and not only to a potential sponsor.
“We always need volunteers so if you can help with our food rescue kitchen, computer rescue program or in our op shop please call us on 0416 221 963. If you have building renovation skills to help get our crisis accommodation running, we need you,” she said.