RE4ORM, a family focused community charity in Torbay
Katie Cavanna is the founder and managing director community interest company RE4ORM helping to alleviate poverty for families in the Torbay community.
Set up October 2019 with the aim to raise aspirations through a community movement Katie and ‘Team RE4ORM’ have successfully helped feed thousands of families across Torbay during the pandemic, which has hit the area hard. Katie has a ‘grass roots, coming together to help one another’ approach to the charity. With 7000 families alone in Torbay who are struggling to make ends meet, she has worked tirelessly with businesses and kind hearted volunteers to help bring the community together during Lockdown.
Their story:
Katie, founder of RE4ORM has worked in families and education for 17 years. She launched RE4ORM as a 1 stop mobile community centre on wheels (which is actually UB40’s old tour bus).
“The huge green bus is amazing. 2 floors, converting into a mobile community centre with a kitchen for restaurant owners to teach how to cook on a budget. We also have workshops, an area for developmental play such as singing and spoken word.” Katie says proudly.
The ‘big green bus’ had to be put on hold due to the pandemic however Katie realised that she could use social media, her business connections and community spirit to help those in need.
She set up ‘Food For Torbay’ by putting a call out on instagram asking people to help her feed as many vulnerable families in Torbay as they could.
Over the last year RE4ORM has worked with 45 local businesses, 70 volunteers and delivered 30,000 cooked meals and food parcels.
“I am so proud of Torbay, we have had restaurants who are closed open their kitchens to create recipe cards or cooked meals and we are promoting the business in return to ensure that people support them upon restrictions easing”. Katie says.
Reform now gives families recipe boxes, every week with a new recipe card by local chef for families to enjoy cooking together. All food is donated by local businesses who have continued to pay their suppliers for fresh produce and handed over to RE4ORM.
In addition, ‘Team RE4ORM’, the volunteers, are all furloughed and this has helped them find a purpose, a way of giving back and doing something positive. At ‘Team RE4ORM- people belong.
“I am so proud of Torbay, we have had restaurants who are closed open their kitchens to create recipe cards or cooked meals and we are promoting the business in return to ensure that people support them upon restrictions easing”
How can you support them:
You can support RE4ORM and Food For Torbay by donating your time, produce or even chef skills to helping vulnerable families in the Torbay area. Find out more about how you can help through RE4ORM instagram or website.
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