Virus crisis and beyond – help us, help others
The Coronavirus crisis has impacted almost everyone across the world. And here in Southport & Formby people are also being hit hard. In March alone local charity Compassion Acts helped over 700 people^ access food - and that figure is rising by the day.
Operating Southport Foodbank, a debt & welfare team and the Food Pantry, Compassion Acts is on the frontline every day and, as the economic situation is expected to crash in months to come, with realities of widespread unemployment, Chief Executive Richard Owens fears, “Without the certainty of regular givers we may be overwhelmed by the autumn.”
Could you give the equivalent of two lattes a month and become a regular giver to Compassion Acts? Small donations of £5 or £10 a month will make a difference to someone who is desperate for food or debt advice.
In the last few weeks, during lockdown, we have helped people like James* who came to Foodbank desperate for help. He was self employed and now has nothing to live on and is unable to provide food for his 4 children. He is one of the many casual, seasonal and self employed workers we are starting to see affected by this crisis. We gave him food to feed his family, but there will be many more people like James in the months to come.
Richard added, “We are planning for the future as we come out of this crisis. We are expecting challenging times in the months ahead with many families needing advice, guidance and access to food. We’ve seen so much generosity during this crisis, not just to us but to other groups working to help the vulnerable at this time, and we’re so grateful. We’re hoping the continuing generosity of local givers will help us help others in the months ahead.”
To set up a standing order, authorise your bank to make regular monthly payments to: Compassion Acts (registered charity 1172948) at HSBC Bank, Lord Street, Southport. Sort Code 40-42-30. Account number: 52071665. If you’re able to Gift Aid (or would like an acknowledgement) please email the information of what you have set up, along with your full, name, title, address and confirmation that you are a tax payer to: community@compassionacts.uk
Notes: * not real name for confidentiality reasons ^over 80% increase on figures from March 2019
With the public’s regular donations, in the second half of 2020 we hope to:
1: Have enough capacity to meet all the needs that come in for welfare and debt advice
2: Continue to run a 5 day a week Foodbank service
3: Launch a new telephone listening service
4: Launch an additional Food Pantry in Birkdale
5: Develop the school Food Pantry in High Park
6: Run ‘next steps café’ budgeting and life skills courses
7: Re-open Foodbank Distribution Centres, which temporarily closed for COVID-19
8: Invest in more suitable storage warehouse and volunteer training facilities/premises.
https://www.compassionacts.uk/news/food-pantry-comes-to-formby
