SLOUGH Outreach invited The Observer out on the road to help deliver essential food to vulnerable residents on Friday (January 28).
The service provides support for the homeless and those in need around the Slough area.
Volunteers for Slough Outreach deliver emergency food parcels and hot meals to people who get referred by social services and probation officers.
Founder Shin Dhother said it’s “very empowering” running the service.
He said: “It’s all about helping those in need and putting a smile on their face, making people happy, and it also makes us happy."
Before heading out, the team packed all the bags of hot meals, hygiene packs and weekly food items.
And the hot meal of the day was a vegetable pasta, cooked by Masterchef 2020 contestant Jasmeet Dial.
Mr Dial, a graphic designer, of Langley, has been volunteering for Slough Outreach since May 2020.
He prepares meals for the service on a weekly basis, cooking around 40 to 50 meals a day.
Mr Dial said: “Today I’ve made a nice chunky vegetable pasta topped with cheddar cheese, the aim is to make something that’s nutritious and filling and that’s the theme followed through into the meals.
“We predominantly do vegetarian dishes so it can be universal and to keep people satisfied and warm.”
Mr Dial added he got into volunteering for the service from his passion for cooking and how cooking lots of meals is now second nature to him.
He said: “You do have that feel good factor that you’re doing something good and worthy and using your skills as well is quite important.”
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Volunteer George Torpey, 29, of Slough, is one of the drivers for the service, and each Friday drops items off to around six or seven residents.
Having started off doing the delivery driving when he first joined, Torpey said he is now a fully fledged member of the team.
He said: “I love helping my community, being born and bred in Slough, it’s lovely to have that impact locally and to meet new people.
“Some of the situations are obviously very sad but I think speaking to these people on a face-to-face basis and having that impact that we’re having as a community group to support these people goes a long way.”
One of the residents we visited was Hardashan Sagoo, who has been supported by Slough Outreach for just over a year.
She said the service has been like a godsend to her.
“I don’t have the words to describe it,” she said.
“I’ve been housebound for nearly three years now and it’s been a great help, and it still is.”
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Another resident, Michael Daly, 71, added: “Shin’s a saint, he’s out every night in the town feeding people, plus he runs around looking for people there.
“He’s a really good man, he’s genuinely concerned about people, and he does a lot of hours.”
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