Penrith charity Reach Out is helping feed those in need

Penrith based charity Reach Out is helping those in need in the community by providing food to those struggling to make ends meet.

ReachOut volunteer Natalina Suaalii and Director Salina Chou with the hampers prepared by Reach Out. The organisation helps provide food to those struggling in the community. Picture: Angelo Velardo.

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A PENRITH charity is reaching out to those in need in the community and beyond.

Reach Out NSW is a new organisation that provides food hampers and assistance to those struggling.

Amani Leifi is one of the five people who started the charity and said the objective was clear.

“Our goal is to help out families who are struggling for food,” Mr Leifi said.

“We cater to homeless people and families who aren’t earning enough.”

Each day volunteers at the service provide food hampers to cash-strapped families and individuals.

The hampers have all the daily nutritional needs, including a selection of fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy products and dried foods. They even recently offered lobster and prawns.

Barbara Wilde prepares a food parcel for delivery in Penrith.

While the service does support a lot of homeless people, Mr Leifi said it was the less visible who also required their assistance.

“In the past year we have witnessed the ‘new poverty’ and I am not sure people notice that,” he said.

“There are families that are working full time and earning enough to pay their bills but they have no money left to pay for other things like food. It is sad to see but it is life at the moment.”

Reach Out recently celebrated one year in operation and is now looking to expand its services. It has just launched a delivery service and is looking to extend its food hampers beyond the Penrith area.

Volunteer Malachi Heka helps with the food delivery.

For now, however, Mr Leifi and the volunteers are taking in the reactions that families are having to the service and are asking the community to help with donations. “We have a lot of families that come in with seven kids and they are crying and saying thank you for helping them out,” Mr Leifi said.

“Everyone just loves the service because it is helping them out and helping them survive for that week or for some every week.

“We ask for donations but we never get anything donated, it is hard when we aren’t getting donations.”

For more details visit www.reachoutnsw.com.au