Dom's Food Mission

The speaker on 30^th March 2022 was Dom Warren who along with his wife, Alexandria, founded the Dom’s Food Mission charity. Dom was working in an electric sub-station feeding out power to users, “I loved the job, it was so dangerous!”, when he went along to a school with his wife and saw children at breakfast club. When he realised the cost and the food poverty in the town his thoughts turned to how he could help.

So, after inspiration, ‘Dom’s Food Mission” was founded on May 13th 2015 with the aim to help feed less fortunate people and to make an impact on food waste.
A Facebook group was created, “Dom’s FOOD Mission” where it was explained to the public what the Mission was. Slowly the Facebook group started to reach out to many supporters, and the message successfully heard.
They began by arranging carpark drop-offs and donation days where members of the Facebook group could donate food items to help the cause. That was brilliant, they filled a whole car with food ready to donate to the local food bank. Doing this on a regular basis really helped boost the intake of donations to people in need and saw the Facebook group rise into the hundreds!
Slowly but surely people were noticing the cause and ‘Dom’s Food Mission’ was contacted by the local Salvation Army inquiring if any food donations were available. This formed a great relationship between them both, which lead to an increase of support to the local community. Within a short period, the mission had gained over 20 sponsors, who regularly donate food and continue to support the Mission. T-shirts, flyers and banners were made to help spread the word and the Facebook group reached 1k members with word spreading fast.

The next success for ‘Dom’s Food Mission’ was being invited into Asda and Morrison’s supermarkets to create an in-store donation day, where the public could take the Mission’s flyer. From the items on the flyer, customers could kindly donate when finishing their shopping; it was a huge success every time and many people benefited from the public’s generous donations.
Dom managed to persuade a sponsor to provide a van, they now have 7, and obtained a lottery award and a number of sponsors. They now provide meals direct to the public who are screened first to assess their needs. Dom was also concerned about food waste; the Mission has set up visits to local stores so children can learn what to do with food which is coming to the end of its shelf life and arranged lessons in schools and other places on how to prepare and cook that food and left overs – a meal to take home for the family.

Dom has now set up a “Helping Hands” project; The project “is a unique opportunity to reach the hearts of children and communities and unite them together! Surplus foods are saved, bought into schools and centres where the Mission teaches the classes how to wash, prepare, and cook meals for the less fortunate!, all from surplus and donated food items! The project is being supported by Tesco Extra Hastings where the classes will head to the store and take part in the Dom’s Food Mission surplus food trails!
Children will be shown around the store by the Tesco community champions teaching them  how to save foods from being thrown away; instead of where and how bread is made they are shown what can be done with bread that is nearly past its used by date such as bread pudding and feeding people instead of throwing the food away. A helping hand project not only teaches people how to cook it gives them life experiences, how to help others and the true meaning of a helping hand. To date we are working with a number of schools and the children are cooking for hundreds of less fortunate people, including children and the homeless, saving so much surplus foods.

The Mission’s aim is to teach the future of tomorrow the correct way to be kind and thoughtful.  In the last year the mission provided 305, 000 meals within the Hastings and Bexhill areas – an amazing feat!
To date ‘Dom’s Food Mission’ has won several awards including Services to the Community and 24/7 legend award! It has donation drop off points in Asda and Morrison’s supermarkets in Hastings and ‘Dom’s Food Mission’ has signed partnerships with the likes of Morrisons, Marks and Spencer’s, Tesco’s, KFC, Costa coffee, Sainsbury’s, Greggs and many more! The Facebook group currently has 3.8k members and has celebrity support. Including our three current ambassadors!

 Secretary Marcia Bryant thanked Dom for his inspiring talk and congratulated him on his service to the community and the success he has achieved. The club made a donation to the Mission

Thanks to the mission’s website for the detail in this report.