{"id":13015,"date":"2019-08-27T10:19:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T09:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.new-directions.co.uk\/socialcare\/?p=13015"},"modified":"2019-08-27T10:19:41","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T09:19:41","slug":"local-hero-omar-volunteers-for-matts-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.new-directions.co.uk\/health-social-care\/2019\/08\/local-hero-omar-volunteers-for-matts-cafe\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Hero – Omar Volunteers for Matt’s Cafe"},"content":{"rendered":"

As you already know, the ND Social Care team are hugely passionate about giving something back to the local community, not just through their everyday work, but by giving up their own time outside of work too. It\u2019s no wonder they won the New Directions \u2018Community Value\u2019<\/a> award earlier this year!<\/p>\n

This month, we want to shine the spotlight on our Local Hero, Omar, from the ND Social Care Swansea branch<\/a>, who has recently taken his first steps into the rewarding world of volunteering in his local community. Every Friday morning, Omar is giving up his time to help local charity Matt\u2019s Caf\u00e9<\/a> as a volunteer Food\u00a0 Collector.<\/p>\n

What is Matt’s Cafe?
\n<\/a><\/h2>\n

Matt\u2019s Caf\u00e9 is part of Matthew\u2019s House<\/a> – a charity that helps support the homeless throughout Swansea by providing them with meals and a safe place to socialise, offering a sense of hospitality and hope. With a shocking 1,160 households<\/a> in Swansea recorded as homeless or threatened with homelessness, the work carried out by Matthew\u2019s House is critical. Omar first heard about the charity when attending a Pobl Trust<\/a> event a few months ago and he has been following their great work helping the homeless in Swansea ever since. When he saw a Facebook<\/a> advert calling for volunteers to help Matthew\u2019s House on a weekly basis, Omar felt that this was something he could do to make a real difference and contribute to the fight against homelessness in his free time.<\/p>\n

Every week, Omar collects food donations from a Tesco store in Swansea Marina before delivering it all to Matthew\u2019s House. Here, the food is weighed and frozen on the premises in preparation for the days when Matt\u2019s Caf\u00e9 is open to the public. The caf\u00e9 intercepts food waste that is destined for landfill and uses it to feed those who need it, as part of The Real Junk Food (TRJF) project \u2013 a network of national and international cafes with a common goal to \u2018feed bellies, not bins.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Matt's<\/a><\/h3>\n

Matt\u2019s Caf\u00e9 has three key aims:<\/h3>\n