Pathway Project in Lichfield has been delivering assistance to victims of sexual and domestic violence for 30 years. Some of the services the organisation provides include a 24-hour helpline, refuge accommodation, counselling services, wellbeing activities and a range of self discovery and confidence building groups. With help from FareShare, Pathway Project can offer sustenance for those in need.

"We don't take it for granted" shared Wendy Dee, Head of Operations at Pathway Project. "Everything counts. Every bag of potatoes. Every loaf of bread. It makes a huge difference and there's a lot of lives that would be affected without this amazing support."

Persistence During The Pandemic

Currently, there is a high demand for openings at the refuge. Service users are staying longer during the pandemic due to the housing shortage, as well as for mental health reasons. Pathway Project has worked hard to ensure families are accommodated and staying somewhere safe. Wendy said:

"Unfortunately, during the first two weeks of lockdown we had to close one of our refuges, but we managed to help all of the families with hotel accommodation. We managed to get back up and running within two weeks, made sure our staff were comfortable and organised and established a new way of working."

After getting back to work, Wendy and Hayley Baxter, CEO of Pathway Project, focused on making sure funding was there to keep the organisation in motion after dealing with the brunt of the pandemic.

How FareShare Midlands Made A Difference

As well as providing vital food to people at a time when they need it most, support from FareShare helps Wendy and her team to put more of their resources towards the other necessities that victims of domestic violence need:

"We rely on donations — not just grants but the resource of FareShare Midlands in terms of the practical help with deliveries every week. Its a massive impact on refuge. It really makes a huge difference to have FareShare on our side.

There's so much to fund at the refuge. From women's clothing to children's pyjamas, everything needs to be funded. Were so grateful for the financial donations that we get because it lets us buy the necessities and the nicer things as well."

The Pathway Project is thankful for its partnership FareShare Midlands — the organisation feels its success has been spearheaded by these valuable resources.

We've been supported by FareShare Midlands for quite some time. They frequently call to see if they can provide anything for us — they've been invaluable for support and practicality."

To support FareShare Midands to help more charities like The Pathway Project, please make a donation.