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 8 days
£95 needed for a monthly bus pass
K is a newly granted refugee and has started English for Speakers of Other Languages classes in central London. She is very keen to gain new skills and attend classes as much as she can, though she struggles with paying for transport, as she ends up spending most of her money on that leaving her with very little for other essential things. Support towards transport would make a huge difference and allow her to attend classes more regularly so she can start building her new life in London.
£150 needed for a shed
F is a bright and resilient woman who has recently moved into a new home. She is a survivor of domestic violence and has previously experienced homelessness. F is in need of a garden shed to use as storage. It will give her a secure place to store essential household items and belongings that currently have no suitable storage space. This would help her ongoing efforts to establish stability, independence, and a sense of security after experiencing significant hardship.
£200 needed for bunk beds
Young single mother, S, has recently moved from temporary bed and breakfast accommodation into an unfurnished one-bedroom flat with her two young children, aged four and one. They are currently sharing a single bed due to a lack of furniture. Support is requested to purchase bunk beds, providing the children with a safe, comfortable place to sleep and helping to create a more stable home environment.
£195 needed for bunk bed mattresses and a wardrobe
Young single mother, S, has recently moved from temporary bed and breakfast accommodation into an unfurnished one-bedroom flat with her two young children, aged four and one. They are currently sharing a single bed due to a lack of furniture. Support is requested to purchase bunk bed mattresses and a wardrobe, giving the children a safe and comfortable place to sleep and providing essential storage to help create a stable, settled home environment.
£175 needed for a fridge
K needs a small fridge as he lives in shared accommodation and shares a fridge, the food often goes missing or is used by other people. K is an asylum seeker currently awaiting decision and is living on Migrant Help Support which does not leave enough additional income for items such as this and makes regularly replacing food very difficult and means that he is currently mainly living off dried goods. The fridge would make a big difference to his well-being.
£200 needed for a washing machine
L is currently out of work and the only household income is Universal Credit. The current machine does not work properly and with two young children under 10 this is a problem for the family. They would have to use a launderette, which isn’t affordable. L is still trying to pay off previous debts and together with household bills and food costs, they do not have funds to replace or call out an engineer to repair the washing machine. He desperately needs a new machine.
£90 needed for a mobile phone
This man is a homeless refugee. He has been homeless for more than 1 year. He is not stable mentally and very stressed. He does not have a mobile phone and this has prevented him from proving his right to rent, work and access his Universal Credit. We would appreciate the kind support to provide him a second hand mobile phone as this will improve his mental health, social wellbeing and enable him to access his benefits.
£190 needed for a laptop
J has been a recovered addict for many years. He has been working hard to rebuild his life, volunteering full time, and living in a homeless community. He is recently recovering from alcohol addiction, which has severely impacted his health, and he is living in a safe rehabilitation facility while he recovers. J would like a laptop so he can stay in contact with his partner and his support system through this process, and to keep occupied with learning and training as he moves on with his life.
£200 needed for installing a washing machine and an air fryer
It was good to be able to chat to this client who is grateful to have been recently allocated some accommodation in a new building. However the apartment is completely unfurnished. Up until now K has been living in supported accommodation with an undiagnosed type of depression. He is a pensioner and therefore has very little finances to furnish his home and few possessions of his own. A washing machine and air fryer would both be a huge help as part of settling into his new place. Many thanks.