COVID-19 Community Meal and Support Service

Let's come together to help us get through this crisis!

This is an emergency crowdfunder from Afghanistan & Central Asian Association in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

THE CRISIS

Right now both the future of the Afghanistan & Central Asian Association, and the health of our most vulnerable community members is in jeopardy. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the elderly, isolated and people with compromised immune systems are worried about going to the shops to buy food. Many people are watching their livelihoods collapse. A lot of people are struggling already. People could go hungry. A lot of people. 

We have also had to suspended face-to-face programmes with isolated and older communities due to the Coronavirus outbreak. However, our dedicated team of volunteers are working tirelessly to help hundreds of isolated people to have someone to turn to, and someone to talk to, during this emergency. Already hundreds of phone calls have helped us reassure older people in across London, including Hounslow, Ealing, Lewisham, Croydon, Harrow. Hillingdon, to ask what people need, and to provide connection in a disconnecting time.

We want to tackle this situation - but we need your help right now.

WHO WE ARE

The Afghanistan & Central Asian Association is a charity that has changed the lives of thousands of isolated and disadvantaged communities since 2001. Through our free to attend community cookery classes, cultural and social activities, women’s tea corner, ESOL for Integration programme, extra-curricular activities for children and young people, legal advice clinic and volunteering/mentoring programme, we empower disadvantaged people with the skills to lead healthier, happier and more connected lives in the UK.

Our work is with society’s most vulnerable but inspiring people. People from ethnic minority and migrant backgrounds, low income families, adults with educational needs, the elderly, people with long term health challenges, the hearing and sight impaired, young people in care to name just a few.

THE PLAN

Using our 5 star hygiene rated kitchen we want to switch our services to a FREE food home delivery service - taking healthy, nourishing food direct to the doorsteps of our most vulnerable community members. 

We have a kitchen, team of volunteer chefs and incredible coordination team ready to get stuck in, and an amazing community network to help us identify those who need this service most in, particularly in Hounslow, Ealing, Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon and Hayes. 

The food will be prepared in our kitchen in small teams. Our friendly, non-contact couriers will deliver by car direct to people's doorsteps, ask how they're coping and if they need any other support. 

This will also allow us to support isolated and vulnerable community members in new ways from afar – e.g. hosting online exercise classes, online english classes and other social activities; and by enabling a dedicated telephone support service staffed by experienced volunteers and coordinated project staff based at home. They are able to communicate with in many languages including Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Urdu, Arabic and Somali - to interpret and translate key government messages on the lockdown, offering reassurance, social contact, assistance and advocacy with benefit issues and health issues.

THE ASK

We need to raise £10K - quickly - so we can pull this off.

Follow us on:
Twitter @a_caa
Instagram @acaa_london
We need each other now - let’s come together to make this happen.