Volunteer Locally With The Homeless
Every town has them: the sort of projects that provide food and shelter for the homeless on the streets in the local area. These ventures need all the volunteer help they can get. So why not enrol with one and get stuck in? The difference that such projects make to the lives of those sleeping rough, or in the community but not quite of it, is immeasurable. Don’t just leave it to the Sally Army.
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Rome, IT , 02 Oct 2005
I really recommend working for a soup run – I’ve been doing it for the last 4 years. I do this once a week in central London from 8.30pm to 11pm and although I’m usually tired when I arrive, I get so much energy from it and feel great when I get home at 11.30pm. Many people don’t come for the food but for a chat and some friendly company (but are happy about the food anyway) – and while the papers and the local council think we are “keeping them on the streets” by feeding them, what we really do is accompaying them on their way, wherever they come from or go to. I only ever miss a night when I’m on holiday, and even then I can’t help thinking about the people and wondering how they are doing.
Rome, IT , 02 Oct 2005
I really recommend working for a soup run – I’ve been doing it for the last 4 years. I do this once a week in central London from 8.30pm to 11pm and although I’m usually tired when I arrive, I get so much energy from it and feel great when I get home at 11.30pm. Many people don’t come for the food but for a chat and some friendly company (but are happy about the food anyway) – and while the papers and the local council think we are “keeping them on the streets” by feeding them, what we really do is accompaying them on their way, wherever they come from or go to. I only ever miss a night when I’m on holiday, and even then I can’t help thinking about the people and wondering how they are doing.
Ilford, GB , 31 Oct 2005
I’ve been doing this ever since a cold weather shelter opened in Redbridge using church halls. We now have a permanent buliding and are open all year round. I continue to volunteer fro the winter months only.
It has changed a lot over the years from being entirly volunteer lead to the situation now with a paid manager and many paid staff which volunteers supliment.
02 Nov 2005
I run drumming workshops for a living, so I’m about to go and do one for the local Simon Community! I’ll let you know how it goes…
19 Dec 2005
We have a group called the People’s Kitchen who look after the homeless in Newcastle Upon Tyne (our nearest city). I went along and played my guitar at a Christmas handout/party/dinner on the street last Monday that they do every year under the railway arches in central Newcastle. It was the first time I’d been down and saw the range and plight of the folks there – so many of them don’t even know how they’ve ended up on the streets. Anyway I’m resolved to get involved more often in 2006. How stark the contrast between the clubbers and party-goers staggering around the Bigg Market in their Christmas excess and the people we were serving who have next to nothing. It’s such a small thing to give some time to help yet it means so much to those in need.
11 Jan 2006
I’ve been doing this in my home town of Swindon for about 3 years now and really enjoy it. The volunteers have become good friends, as have some of the homeless folk. I thoroughly enjoy standing about in a car park in all weather, just chatting to people, making hot drinks for them, just hearing their stories and doing what we can to help people with whatever they need. We don’t try to beat them around the head with the Gospel but make it clear that we are Christians and are willing to talk about our faith when asked.
13 Feb 2006
Or why not volunteer and do something else. It is a fantastic way of meeting new people and really having an impact on people’s lives. I had no idea of the impact volunteering could have until I started working for a volunteering organisation. Go to www.do-it.org.uk to find something in your area. You’ll be amazed at the variety of opportunities!!
13 Feb 2006
In my brown patch of inner London, seven enterprising church communities run the Islington Night Shelter project, each of them hosting up to 15 homeless people for one night a week over the first three months of the year, on their church hall floors. Not only does it provide food, warmth, bed and friendship for people who are down on their luck but it provides a cool way for people like me – every few weeks – to meet with people who I would probably pass without noticing on the street. It’s also one of those rare ways in which you feel the ‘Christian’ community is being who it was meant to be.
23 Nov 2006
I cant beleive how difficult it is to find organisations that will allow a person to volenteer. I live in South West London and really want to help with soup runs or anything in the community especially over Christmas time and yet it has proved difficult to find. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thank you
13 Oct 2007
I live in southeast London and would like to volunteer at a shelter or a soup kitchen or anything that’s useful, really. I’m having trouble finding somewhere. Does anyone know of anywhere that’s short on volunteers?
Cheers.
07 Sep 2008
where can i find these homeless shelters, i line in south west london?
10 Nov 2008
I’ve been helping with a Soup Run on a Friday night in Birmingham for about 3 years. It is a very practical way of helping homeless people and has an added benefit of making you feel like you’ve done something really positive!
As a result of this, to try and make a bigger impact, I started TwoToo in Autumn 2007. If you buy a TwoToo scarf for £5, you get to keep one and we give another one away to a homeless person. We sold 500 scarves last winter which meant we were able to give away another 500! Please help us to increase that this year. http://www.twotoo.co.uk.
If you are interested in joining a Soup Run in Birmingham on a Friday night you can contact me at sales@twotoo.co.uk for further info.
Steve
London, GB , 11 Nov 2008
I am based on brick lane and am interested in volunteering in a soup kitchen during the cold winter months. However I am having some difficulty finding somewhere. Can anyone help?
cheltenham, GB , 12 Nov 2008
We work with an organisation called Gloucestershire Nightstop. Nightstop functions all over the country so try googling to find your local one if you are interested.
Nightstop operates to offer short term emergency accommodation to young people aged 16-25 on the day they become homeless. It’s a way of keeping vulnerable yound people off the streets until the local authorities can find them more permanent shelter.
It works by having host families or individuals making their own home available to host. You volunteer your free days in advance and then on the day you may be contacted. You can always turn someone down if you aren’t up to it on the day. You receive full training and support. All you have to do is provide a bed, dinner and breakfast and somewhere for them to wash.
Some of the Nightstop users want to chat, others prefer to just watch TV or go to their room early. Those who come are carefully vetted and are in the lowest risk categories.
We were nervous the first time we volunteered but the young people proved to be lovely. We’ve had some great experiences. The majority of users suffer family breakdown with step parents or parental abuse. A few have left care and now aren’t sure what to do.
If you can’t offer to host, you may be able to offer other services such as driving them from pick up points to host families in the evening or offering to volunteer in the office occasionally.
As an example, check out www.gloucestershirenightstop.org.uk as a starter.
London, GB , 14 Nov 2008
i would like to volunteer for helping the Homeless around london. Could anyone put me in the right direction?