Facebook help group forced to cut food assistance to families

Stop and Help has provided assistance to more than 100,000 people and put the equivalent of 2.5 million meals on tables

Stop and Help, run by Heather Harries helps families who have fallen on hard times. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Stop and Help, a community initiative, connected families in need with UAE residents who could support them. Courtesy: Stop and Help

The concept started in Dubai but has expanded to other emirates. Courtesy: Stop and Help

Families are able to communicate through Stop and Help. Once they finish the duration, many families send thank you messages and pictures to their 'kindness givers'. Courtesy: Stop and Help

On the occasion of Father's Day, many UAE residents signed up with Stop and Help to send groceries to dads that might need help supporting their families during the coronavirus pandemic. Courtesy: Stop and Help.

Heather Harries has gotten her entire family involved in the initiative. The family has been delivering food and supplies to families across Dubai. Courtesy: Heather Harries

Stop and Help also partnered with Emirates Loto, which pledged to assist 25 families a day until the end of 2020. Courtesy: Stop and Help

A Facebook group set up last year to help families struggling during the pandemic has had to limit the amount of food assistance it can offer.
Heather Harries, the founder of Stop and Help in Dubai, said the group is simply unable to keep up with the huge demand.
In a video posted on Facebook, Ms Harries said the group would continue to support those seeking help to find work.

Over the past 11 months, the Stop and Help community initiative has provided assistance to more than 100,000 people and put the equivalent of 2.5 million meals on tables.
Supplies of rice, bread, noodles and baby food are regularly delivered to homes across the city by volunteers.

The Harries family has been delivering food and supplies to families across Dubai. Heather Harries

“We have taken the very sad decision that we simply cannot keep up with the demand that we have,” Ms Harries said.

"We are not stopping, we are streamlining. We have supported over 100,000 people and the number does not go down.

"We will take harder decisions to try and make people more independent. You have no idea how tough that call is."
Ms Harries said the decision to end support for many families was not an easy one, but said she could not promise things as there were fewer donors. 
The British national urged those who were in need of long-term support to contact their embassies for help.
Going forward, she said a small group of volunteers from the group would continue to support families in emergency situations.

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“We are still here to help connect you with jobs, help to rewrite your CVs, help with interview skills and, of course, support in any other way we can,” she said.

“But for food, we simply cannot do any more than absolute emergency situations, and even these will be capped at four weeks.”

Since the start of the year, the number of willing donors on hand to provide food and drink supplies to families has dwindled, forcing Ms Harries to limit food provisions.