Supporting those who are homeless
Supporting those who are homeless
Homelessness has been a growing crisis throughout the country for many years now. Cambridge is one of the most divided cities in terms of poverty and wealth. We know that just handing out cash to people on the street is not the answer, but this may leave us feeling at a loss as to how we can help.
Here are three ways we can respond to the needs we see around us:
1. Pray
We have a God who has a heart for the vulnerable and the marginalised, and who delights in hearing our requests and petitions. So, we can go to him in prayer and ask him to help those who are homeless. Maybe each time you see or meet someone who is living on the streets you could pray for them. We can of course also stop and talk with people on the street, buy them some food, and get to know them.
Pray for the many staff and volunteers working with homeless individuals.
Pray too for our local council here in Cambridge to have wisdom as they think about how to help the homeless community in our city.
2. Donate
Wintercomfort are a local charity working with homeless people. They operate a support hub which is open all year round. This aims to encourage and empower homeless individuals to overcome disadvantage and to make positive, long term changes to improve their lives. As the cost-of-living crisis continues, demand for their services continues to be at extremely high levels.
We have asked how we can best support the work they do and will be collecting donations in church until 27th October. Wintercomfort ask that, if at all possible, we choose from the items listed below (they have good stocks of some other common items, e.g. shower gel, hot chocolate – and limited storage space!):
- Porridge / oats / cereals
- Tins of soup (any flavours)
- Pasta
- Pasta sauces
- Rice / beans / pulses / lentils
- Packs of microwaveable rice
- Tinned food (vegetables, fish, beans, etc)
- Cooking / vegetable oil
- Individually wrapped biscuits (Kit Kats, Clubs, etc)
- Roll on deodorant (not spray)
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Shaving gel/foam
- Disposable razors
- Soap / shampoo / conditioner
- Jumpers / hoodies
- Winter jackets and coats
- Woolly hats / gloves
- Trousers
- Thermals
- Socks
- Sleeping bags
- Roll mats
- Hand/feet warmers
- Head torch
Donations of supermarket vouchers (in denominations of £5 or £10), or High Street vouchers (eg. Primark, in small denominations) which can be given to service users, are also appreciated.
It is also possible to contribute financially to the work of Wintercomfort, either as a one-off or regular gift.
3. Volunteer
Wintercomfort run a number of amazing projects to support vulnerable people in Cambridge and there are varied opportunities to volunteer as helpers on these projects. Regular volunteers are also needed to provide day to day support both with practical tasks and chatting to people. Contact info@wintercomfort.org.uk to find out more.
There are also other organisations working in this area such as:
Click on the images above to look at their websites, and why not follow them on social media.
Finally, the Cambridge Churches Homeless Project runs throughout the winter months, aiming to model caring, supportive chaplaincy to the homeless community, offering practical help (a warm bed and good meal) as well as a listening ear for those sleeping rough during the coldest months of the year. Guests are referred by year-round partner organisations such as Wintercomfort and Jimmy’s. Find out more about volunteering with CCHP here. Anyone wishing to volunteer must attend one of the training sessions happening during October.