When Laura from Hertfordshire moved to a new town in January with her husband and three young children, everything felt new and a little uncertain.
They didn’t know a soul in the area. Their new home, mid-renovation, was bare after saying goodbye to the built-in furniture in their old house. Money was tight. The living room had just a sofa and dining table.
Looking for a way to furnish their space without spending, Laura searched online for free furniture – and that’s how she found Olio.
“I started by requesting a TV cabinet, a side table and a storage unit. It also helped me get to know the area – even if I did take a few wrong turns along the way!”
Still adjusting to the move, Laura felt a strong desire to contribute to her new community. She soon signed up as a Food Waste Hero – and started rescuing surplus food each Saturday night.
Each week, as she left the house at 9.45pm, her daughter would wish her luck and say she hoped it would be “a good one.” The next morning, the pair would relist any food items still available and get everything neatly organised for people to collect throughout the day.
Laura’s daughter, now nine, had been through more than most children her age.
At three, she was diagnosed with nine tumours in her bowel. Doctors removed some, but she continues to undergo annual colonoscopies under general anaesthetic. Understandably, the impact on her confidence was significant.
“She went from being a smiley, happy, carefree child to quiet, shy and fearful. We tried everything – Go Ape, ice skating, letting her order her own food in cafés – but nothing really helped.”
Until Olio.
Now, each Sunday morning, her daughter helps organise the rescued food. She sorts it into boxes, arranges it neatly, and proudly helps her mum get everything ready for neighbours coming to collect.
She now also talks to other neighbours and tells them about the app. Explains why it exists and how to use it.
“She’s probably your best Olio advocate out there. And she’s asked me, ‘Can I do Olio when I’m older, Mummy?’”
For a family new to the area, Olio has helped them put down roots.
“One woman who used to collect from me is now a close friend – we go to a children’s group together. It’s amazing how sharing food has brought people into our lives.”
What began as a way to furnish a home became the foundation for something far more meaningful for Laura’s family.
“We had the intention of wanting to integrate and become valued members of our new community, but weren’t entirely sure how we could go about this. Olio has enabled this to happen via building and developing our relationships with our church and neighbours.”
What do you love most about Olio?
“Olio means the world to us – it’s literally helping our world by reusing and recycling. It’s saved so much from landfill, it’s developed wonderful relationships and friendships for us, it’s allowed us to give something back to a community that warmly welcomed us with open arms us with open arms and we are eternally grateful to Olio for all of the wonderful opportunities and adventures that it has provided so far.”