Here are four local mission organisations that Goring Free Church supports:
Reach
Reach is a charity supported by churches in Reading, representing a variety of denominations. It is associated with Scripture Union, a charity working with schools and churches across the UK. They currently serve schools in a variety of ways: assemblies, RE lessons, clubs and Christian groups, transition work for Year 6 students and coffee and cakes for staff at break time!
When they are invited to do so, volunteers from Goring Free Church bake cakes and serve them to the staff at Langtree School (our local secondary school) with coffee and tea during their morning break time.
Wallingford Food Bank
Wallingford Food Bank is a registered charity operating a food bank based in the centre of Wallingford. They began serving the community in 2011. In the first year, they provided food for approximately 400 people, the current demand being approximately 6,000 people. They rely entirely on unpaid volunteers and donations of food and money from the public, churches and other organisations.
We have a food donation box in the porch at Goring Free Church which we encourage people to donate to regularly. At harvest time, all food donations are given to the Food Bank.
CAP (Christians Against Poverty)
CAP exists because nobody should be held hostage by debt and poverty, but the truth is that they are rife in the UK. In a society where people live behind closed doors, thousands are desperately poor. Unable to feed their children, incapable of paying to heat their homes in winter, the grip of poverty is relentless. It breaks families apart and drives many to think that suicide is the only solution. CAP is passionate about releasing people in our nation from a life-sentence of debt, poverty and their causes. Through their services, which are all run through local churches, they are tackling poverty head-on. Their vision is to see a hope-filled society, free from poverty, with churches united to improve the lives of those facing debt and financial hardship.
At Goring Free Church we support CAP through donations and the occasional fundraising event.
CCA (Christian Community Action)
CCA is a registered charity that was formed in 1992 by Nick Crowder who, with three volunteers, provided essential second-hand furniture items for a young girl in a crisis. He saw there was an ongoing need for this service in Reading, and he also wanted to help the unemployed find their way back into employment. Today its aim is to demonstrate God’s love by providing practical support for those that need it. Since its inception, CCA has helped supply over:
- 30,000 + Items of furniture given a new home
- 10,000 + Collections of furniture
- 20,000 + People offered support
At Goring Free Church we support CCA through donations.