Mid Ulster team of volunteers are 'enjoying giving to those in need'

Like other business owners, the Magherafelt man was forced to close his outlets - Aaron’s Gym and Energy Mind and Body at Molesworth Street, Cookstown - a few weeks ago to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

Determined to help the community, Aaron set up and now coordinates with three others the Mid Ulster EMB Foodbank Volunteer Network.

He explained that it was a self funded foodbank operating within the district with supplies coming from local stores including Tesco, M&S, the Corner Cake Shop, Spar and a number of smaller shops in rural areas.

“It’s an extension of my own project Energy Mind and Body where all money made goes back into the community,” he stressed.

He said people who needed food ordered over social media and the next day they would send a volunteer to a store and bring back supplies to their Molesworth Street base.

“We then pack them and a volunteer will deliver them to the elderly and those in need,” he went on.

“They are basically getting their groceries for free to their door.”

Aaron said they were finding that people are being honest with them and are in genuine need. He said they were dealing with around 15 orders per day but had scope to handle more.

He said apart from a financial donation from St Vincent De Paul Society they had received no funding but were now exploring this option with Mid Ulster District Council, and there was a good possibility of them going down that route.

The volunteers are enjoying giving something to others and not getting anything in return, he continued.

Aaron said he limited each volunteer to once a week making three to five deliveries as it was carried out at their own expense.

He said they would continue with their work until the threat from Covid-19 recedes, assuring the community that they would “go straight to the end”.

“We have set up a structure that if some of us are forced to go into self-isolation for a few weeks we will be able to carry on what we are doing,” he added.

Aaron accepted that while it was hard times for many people, he believed that “a lot of good will come out of it as well”.

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