A group of Te Puke people from the town's churches are stepping up to fill the gap left by the closure last week of the Te Puke Community Care Trust.
Local MP Todd McClay met five community representatives yesterday morning and they checked out the interior of the former RSA building, which is on the market.
The group, led by Te Puke Baptist minister Sue Wilks, also included Presbyterian church member Judy Abrahams, social worker Deborah Nicol, Vincent House manager Jeff Orr and Roger Wilks. They were setting up a charitable trust named Empowerment NZ.
Mrs Wilks said concerned people wanted to collaborate to help provide for needy people in Te Puke.
A group was feeding homeless people every Saturday night and the number of recipients had grown to about 30, she said.