The rising cost of living crisis: our response
As a charity we are well placed to meet the needs of individuals impacted by economic and social change. Throughout the pandemic we saw a huge increase in need, helping more individuals annually than ever before. We're very aware that the need for help will only continue to increase over the next few months, as individuals struggle to pay for their basic bills. We are expecting this increase not only because many will struggle with the increases in energy and food, but also due to many people finding themselves without savings to pay for unexpected items such as a broken washing machine or clothes for a growing child.
Therefore, we are responding by being prepared to help as many people as we're able during this time through the needs on our website. We will be encouraging donors to give towards the individual requests on our website, but we are also running a specific appeal through Stewardship. You can read more about these at the end of this blog.
We are hoping that through our network of churches and local charities we will continue to be able to provide a valuable resource as they meet the ever-increasing need in their communities. We are getting daily requests for help, which tell the story of individuals who are being affected by the rising costs. Here are just a few examples:
R, a young mum to two small children, has come to us in desperate need of support for gas, electric and food. She is using a Foodbank on a daily basis, but is really struggling with anxiety and depression. R is trying her best to keep her head above water, but with the rising costs and being on a low income, she feels she is failing. If we could just give her some breathing space from the cost of living, to help with her mental well-being, this would be greatly appreciated.
M is currently being supported by the local Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre. She has made significant strides forward in managing her money and dealing with debt that has caused her to struggle for some time. However, with the cost of living rising she has found it really difficult to put any money away, leaving her stuck when needing to replace her fridge freezer.
This request is for a school uniform for a single parent who cares for two daughters and is a Kinship Carer with parental responsibility for her grandson. The cost of living crisis is hitting really hard as the children get older and the cost of their clothes increases. Her grandson is starting secondary school this September and she desperately wants to provide the uniform he needs, so he isn't different to his peers.
The good news is that Acts 435, alongside our fantastic supporters and donors can help to meet these specific needs of this grandmother and R and M! All individuals who are feeling 'stuck' and anxious. These three requests for help specifically mention the rising cost of living. However, we're aware that it is affecting most people in one way or another, meaning that all of the requests on our website will support an individual or a family who are struggling during this crisis.
As well as supporting our churches and local charities who partner with us we're also continuing to connect with our key partners who are also helping to tackle this emergency. In this way we hope to be able to help further during this crisis, and meet the needs of more individuals than ever before.
If you are able to give directly to an individual or family, please do take a look at all the needs posted on our website. However, we want to provide as much support as we can to individuals who are struggling with the rising cost of living, and particularly those who are immediately affected by the increase in fuel costs taking place in October. Therefore we have created a fundraiser with Stewardship and funds raised through this will go to the direct needs of individuals who are struggling with the rising cost of living, and especially those who find themselves in fuel poverty. Each family or individual will be someone known to be in need by our partner churches and charities. Initially they will go directly to meet the needs on our website. However, if funds exceed this we may seek to help other individuals who are known to our partners to be in need.
Give to an urgent need today!
The average time for a need to be fully funded is currently 2 days
£200 needed for a washing machine
J has two young children under the age of four and is on her own. She has just moved into a housing association property, but has no white goods. J has managed to buy a second-hand fridge freezer, but cannot afford a washing machine. We are grateful for your support for this family. The local electrical appliance company will supply and fit it promptly.
£200 needed for carpet fitting
L is caring for her grandchild who has complex health issues and needs regular hospital appointments in Leeds. This is putting a huge strain on L's finances, coupled with the fact that they have recently had to move to a larger house to accommodate their grandchild. The new property has no carpets down and is cold, damp and unsafe. Social services has raised this as a safety issue that needs dealing with as soon as possible. Please could our kind donors help us to keep this family safe?
£160 needed for an orthopaedic mattress
C, who is struggling financially to make ends meet, has not been working as she has been battling severe back pain and has been unable to work lately. She has been managing with her Universal Credit to cover all bills and food, but barely has nothing left. C has been advised to get an orthopaedic mattress by the occupational therapist to support with her back, but cannot afford it now and needs our support to meet this.
£200 needed for a washing machine
L has had a tough few years and has recently relocated areas, meaning he has a limited support network around him and is struggling to make ends meet. He is in the midst of trying to find permanent paid employment, now that he has relocated. L's washing machine has unfortunately broken, just before Christmas. £200 would allow us to provide a voucher for him to buy a replacement which will hopefully help towards his job search by allowing him to be able to wash his clothing.
£200 needed for lounge and stairs carpets
Our client lives with his small family and has been unable to work due to the worsening of a physical condition which has rendered him disabled. He is on a very low income and has not long moved into this property that had carpets removed by the housing association. The client regularly falls, due to nerve damage, and has on more than one occasion seriously hurt his face falling onto floorboards and concrete. He has managed to carpet some rooms, but with your help we can complete the lounge and stairs.
£200 needed for an electric cooker
M is a single dad to three children living who are living in a small flat. He is unable to work at present due to poorly controlled type 1 diabetes and its associated health issues. M is dependent on basic benefits and has no savings or any other financial help. The family needed two new beds and bedding, which have been provided by Home Church Torquay. In addition, the cooker is irreparably broken, due to its age. The family is surviving by cooking with an air-fryer currently, and desperately needs a new cooker.
£120 needed for a laptop
Our friend, who is seeking sanctuary in the UK from Kenya, needs a laptop for his college assignments. He is very committed to is studying for his Construction Skills Certification Scheme certificate and is also studying IT, so a working laptop is really essential for him.
£200 needed for a washing machine
F suffers from fibromyalgia which has left her unable to work and, in turn, has led to her struggling financially. She is using a low-cost food pantry to be able to afford food, and even so, her benefits barely cover her basic costs each week. F has no washing machine and finds it very difficult, not to mention expensive, to carry her washing to the launderette, and hand washing clothes is very painful. Your support to buy a washing machine would really help her daily life.
£200 needed for a fridge freezer
After suffering a breakdown, V was allowed to leave hospital after months of therapy, only to discover when she got home that her fridge freezer had stopped working and the food had rotted inside. V, who cannot afford to replace the fridge freezer as she only receives benefits, now has to ask her neighbour to go to the shops for her daily to get fresh food and she is feeling like a burden to her neighbour. V has older children, but they work during the day an V is reluctant to ask them. Thank you!