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 9 days
£200 needed for a cooker
M is a single mum who has recently moved to a permanent council home and is in need of a cooker. Torch and others have already helped with decoration and flooring as M already has debt and the whole process has been quite traumatic. Consequently she is struggling with her mental health because of everything that has happened. Please can you help them with an electric cooker that would allow her to prepare proper meals for her daughter who has special needs.
£200 needed for a washing machine
X 's partner died two years ago at the age of thirty nine. He continues to struggle with both his physical and mental health. Recently his washing machine has stopped working. X has no funds to buy a new washing machine as he is currently unfit for work. Can you help?
£190 needed for a washing machine and cabinets
M is currently unwell. She has been home bound for a few months now. She unfortunately cannot work at the moment as the illness has made her immobile at the. Unfortunately her washing machine is broken and she needs help to replace it as she does not have money. She is also in need of 2 bedside cabinets.
£200 needed for food, travel and a phone
S is a single Mum, an asylum seeker, living in a hotel with her daughter. On arriving in the UK, she lived with her ex partner for 18 months and had to leave him because of Domestic violence. Before now she was accommodated in a Stella Maria Convent. Since moving into a hotel, living has become harder for her and her daughter. She needs your support for food, travel and a telephone. Your voucher donation will make a difference to their lives, reduce her anxiety and unhappiness
£200 needed for food and clothes
D is an asylum seeker living in a hotel with her family. This mum is a mother of 2 children, twin teenage boys. She had fled from her home country because of political reasons. Her uncle's son had been killed and her family had received several threats of loss of their lives. Since arriving in the UK her husband has developed a serious back problem affecting his mobility. The allowance they receive is grossly inadequate. Your food voucher donation will change their lives.
£150 needed for gas and electricity bills
S is a father of 3 children and currently he is between jobs and looking for a job his wife is also not working as she is looking for the youngest child. S had a bill of debt for gas and electricity and would like your support so he can pay this amount to the provider as his income is currently barely enough for his life expenses and rent.
£200 needed for a carpet fitting
Thank you for reading this request. S has fled Syria and has recently been granted the leave to remain in the UK with his family. He has been living in various hotels but has recently been granted a property of his own. The property he has been granted is uncarpeted and he doesn't have the finances to be able to afford to fit them. His only income is from Universal Credit and he has no savings. We have an amazing offer of free carpets, if we can get a little help fitting them.
£165 needed for delivery and installation of cooker
A is a single man living with a number of chronic health conditions including respiratory concerns and epilepsy. He is in receipt of Universal Credit, and is working hard with local organisations to work his way out of debt. His cooker has recently broken and although he has sought support to replace. We are requesting support to be able to pay the additional cost of delivery and installation.
£200 needed for an air fryer
Z is vulnerable and left his workplace having been bullied at work. This led to debt and to being further targeted in his community, exacerbating his mental health issues. He is being helped by Christians Against Poverty who have found that his current air fryer is unsafe to use and he has no other way of cooking food. We would like to bless him with an air fryer so that he can cook and to help his general wellbeing as well as showing him that people care for his welfare.