M&S Aylesford

Making A Difference to Maidstone (MADM) is a community-driven charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable individuals and families across Maidstone. Operating from our Outreach Centre Church Street, in the heart of Maidstone; we exist to bring practical help, dignity, and hope to those facing hardship, crisis, or social isolation. Our mission is simple: to meet people where they are, respond to real needs, and walk alongside them toward a more stable and hopeful future. Our service are always free. Who We Help We support a wide range of individuals within the Maidstone community, including: People experiencing homelessness or housing instability Individuals struggling with poverty or financial hardship Those facing mental health challenges People who are socially isolated or disconnected Individuals rebuilding their lives after crisis, trauma, or addiction Young people and adults needing practical life support and guidance We focus especially on those who may fall through the gaps of traditional services—people who need consistent, relational support rather than just one-off assistance. How We Find and Reach People We connect with those in need through partnerships, referrals, and our presence within the local community: 1. Referrals from Partner Organisations We work closely with: Local councils Hostels and supported housing (like Trinity Foyer) Churches and community groups Other charities and frontline services These partners refer individuals to us who would benefit from ongoing, practical support. 2. Word of Mouth Many people come to us through recommendations from others we’ve helped. Trust within the community plays a huge role in reaching those who might otherwise stay hidden. 3. Community Initiatives & Projects Through initiatives like food distribution, support programs, and volunteering opportunities, people naturally connect with us and begin building relationships. Our Approach What makes MADM different is our relational approach. We don’t just provide services—we build trust, offer consistency, and support people holistically. Whether it’s helping someone get ID, access housing, improve wellbeing, or simply feel seen and valued, we walk alongside them every step of the way.

The charity have a number of volunteers who either do food drops within the community in various areas {i.e. Cuxton, Snodland, and Rochester}, distribute vulnerable families who they know that are struggling. The food is also distributed to Twydall Evangelical Church, community centre, charities like Our Community Spirit. The food is also used to cook for the homeless, One Big Family, Helping the Homeless. We collect from Co Op, M&S, Lidl, Aldi, KFC and Tescos There is no charge as our volunteers. They do this to help the community or people in need. They are selfless volunteers who want to give back to the community knowing they are not getting any expenses paid for.

This project has been set up to support the families, carers and children of our schools (~1800 pupils), offering them access to food donations in a time of very high living costs. With the current cost of living being so high, some of our families find themselves in unsettling financial situations and our aim is to be able to support them by offering food parcels directly which are either collectable from our school offices or delivered directly to our families. We know that the only healthy meal our children have is the lunch offered at school and so in addition to the food parcels, we offer all additional surplus food to our entire school community. We do not charge any of our families or school community for the food that we provide and all collections and deliveries are undertaken by parents within this community We are very grateful for all the donations that we receive from supermarkets locally to us and we know that all our school community is exceptionally grateful for this provision that we offer!