Since the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, The Passage has been on the frontline working hard to keep homeless people safe. We have been responding rapidly to keep pace with the situation as it develops, refocusing our services to operate an emergency response in line with government guidance.
Within a matter of weeks, we have moved hundreds of vulnerable people into emergency temporary accommodation and our key priority now is to ensure they are well fed and don’t return to the streets.
Although it is a strange and uncertain time for many, the majority of us are lucky enough to have regular access to food and medical supplies. It is not so straightforward for those who are homeless.
We have just launched a #DonateYourDinner campaign to help fund a new Food Hub supporting homeless people in temporary accommodation. This service is being run from The Passage kitchen, where our frontline staff and volunteers are preparing and delivering emergency food parcels to 320 people seven days a week.
It’s a huge undertaking as there are more than double the number of people who we are providing meals for compared to prior to the pandemic. To keep this fantastic project operational, we need to raise £300,000 over the next ten weeks. This will ensure that people relying on our services do not go hungry.
We are asking members of the public to donate £10, which is roughly equivalent to the cost they might spend on a dinner, to fund a daily food parcel containing breakfast, lunch and a hot, nutritious dinner for one homeless person.
There are also options to pay for multiple food parcels for those who are able to do a little more. Donations can be made by visiting www.passage.org.uk/dinner
At this time of lockdown, when many of us are unable to enjoy a meal with family and friends, we’re also encouraging people to join The Passage on social media to share their recipes and dining experiences while raising awareness of the campaign, using the hashtag #DonateYourDinner.
So far we have been extremely grateful to receive celebrity support from cookery legend Mary Berry, who has donated a special recipe for our Food Hub, and celebrity chef Nadiya Hussain.
As the former Great British Bake Off winner said, commenting on the campaign: “Let’s not let homelessness become normal. Let’s not walk past.”
This is a challenging time for all of us but even more so for homeless people. By continuing to support each other and the most vulnerable groups in society we can all get through this period together.
The author is Chief Executive at The Passage
