Respond · Program
Food and water
Hot meals, clean drinking water and groceries that respect what families eat.
In the first days, we bring water and ready meals to shelters and to homes on roads that are cut off. We cook with local caterers, church kitchens and community centres, so the money stays in the area.
As stores reopen, we switch to grocery cards. Families choose their own food, which is faster, kinder and better for local shops.
At a glance
Example figures- Hot meals a day at every shelter we run
- 3
- Drinking water per person, per day, as a minimum
- 4 L
- When we usually start grocery cards, once stores reopen (example)
- 72 hrs
What it includes
What families can count on
- Bottled and bulk drinking water, delivered to shelters and rural roads
- Hot meals cooked with local kitchens and caterers
- Halal, kosher, vegetarian and allergy-safe options on request
- Baby formula, diapers and food for people with medical diets
- Prepaid grocery cards for local stores
- Cooler trailers for families waiting on power
How it works
Step by step
-
Step 1
Count the need
Shelter sign-ins and road reports tell us how many people need food and water, and where.
-
Step 2
Load and drive
Water and ready meals leave our warehouse on the first trucks, beside the shelter trailer.
-
Step 3
Cook local
We hire nearby kitchens to cook hot meals, so dollars stay in the community.
-
Step 4
Hand over choice
When stores open, grocery cards let each family buy what they actually eat.
Questions about food and water
Can I donate food or bottled water?
Thank you for thinking of it. We ask for money instead, because sorting and trucking donated goods is slow and costly. A gift lets us buy exactly what is needed, close to where it is needed.
Do you serve special diets?
Yes. Tell the kitchen team at the shelter. We plan for halal, kosher, vegetarian and common allergies, and we keep formula and medical diet foods on hand.
Do grocery cards have conditions?
No. They work at local grocery stores and families choose what to buy.
Other programs
Give to food and water
Keep food and water ready for the next call.
We bring drinking water to cut-off roads, cook hot meals with local kitchens, and hand out grocery cards when stores reopen.
Prefer a steady gift? See monthly giving. Every gift gets a receipt.