FAMILIES facing difficult times and struggling to make ends meet are being helped by a charity.

Hopeworx, based in Rayleigh, was set up in 2009 to give Christmas hampers to families living in Beaver Towers, Eastwood.

Volunteers realised there was a need for a food project to help families in the Rayleigh area. Now they hand out food parcels to families in need on a regular basis.

Each pack includes long-life food to see a person through two days, with basics such as pasta, tea, sugar, cereals, beans and UHT milk.

Janet Fox, one of the volunteers heading up the charity, said it is aimed at bridging the gap for people waiting for benefits to come through, or who have found themselves in difficult circumstances.

She said: “We aim to help people who find themselves in hard times – those who are divorced, victims of domestic violence, people who can’t work due to bad health – wherever there is crisis in a family.

“In ten days we could have four referrals, but that is quite a lot of people if they have children. At Christmas we give some hampers to the families we have helped during the year, giving more luxury items, more treats.

“Because of the situation they are in, they are not in the position sometimes to come and collect the parcels. Sometimes social workers will take them, sometimes we drop them off.”

Hopeworx is part of the Christian Growth Centre, based in the Megaplay Centre in Brook Road, Rayleigh.

The charity doesn’t deal with people directly, as the only way to get help from the scheme is through referrals from social services or children’s centres.

As the economy worsened, Mrs Fox said the group saw more and more people referred to it for help, and it is now looking at branching out to help people by giving them furniture.

She added: “The number of people coming to us has increased. We have had requests for furniture, big items that cost a lot of money like carpets, cookers and sofas. That’s where we are looking at growing.

“At the moment we are needing PAT testers for electrical items. I’ve got a fridge freezer and it needs to be tested.”

Hopeworx has also produced a book of recipes, costing £5, which it is selling to raise money for the project.

For more information about the project, or to donate, e-mail hopeworx@cgcrayleigh.com