Haberdashers' Donation Helps Homeless Young People, Badly Housed Families and Others in Need

The Haberdashers' Benevolent Foundation recently made a donation, with the Master’s matching funding scheme, to the Cardinal Hume Centre, a charity which enables people to gain the skills they need to overcome poverty and homelessness. It works with homeless young people, badly housed families and others in need.

“This is such a challenging time and we are continuing to support vulnerable people as best we can. We continue to provide a home to 36 young homeless residents with staff from across the Centre stepping in to cover for hostel staff who are ‘at risk’ or have been exposed to the virus (currently seven hostel staff are unable to work). I am covering a shift in our young persons’ hostel today and the fantastic staff are doing amazing work to keep the young residents spirits up and reassure them. 

Our Life Skills Coordinator, Gail, and residents are continuing to cook together and have made frozen emergency meals to use in case the young people become sick. We are also providing daily deliveries of pre-cooked meals in partnership with Unity Works and Westminster Council which the young people can heat up and there are fresh pastries every morning. The young people who are afraid to go the shops can also get essentials from our food storage. Some of the young people are very nervous about going outside so we are trying to get creative to reduce their isolation, inviting them to care for our community garden or go outside to play basketball. Most importantly, staff are frequently checking in with young people to know they are okay and cared for.”

Trish Marron
Corporate Funder