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 fitting and supplying a bedroom carpet
This single mum is on a low income and has five children with additional needs. The children's father walked out several months ago, leaving them distraught. The children have smashed and destroyed items in the home as they cannot cope or understand, and currently are in need of a carpet as the one they had was soiled and needed throwing out. The living conditions are really poor as mum is so stressed and exhausted, and the boys' bedroom is just floorboards. Please can you help?
£200 needed for an electric cooker
This single mum is on low income and has five children with additional needs. Father walked out and took some household items several months ago, which has affected the children enormously, to the point that the teenagers reactions were self harm and to break things in the house, as they could not understand. Mum, who is absolutely stressed and exhausted, has no cooker and is relying on neighbours to cook for her. Please can you help?
£100 needed for food and bus travel
W, who is currently sofa surfing, is waiting for financial assistance from the Home Office, which is pending. He is at subsistence level and desperately needs vouchers for a month's worth of food, and an Oyster top-up for bus travel to GP and legal appointments.
£200 needed for a television and a fridge freezer
J, who has mental health issues and Autism, does not go out of the house, due to his health issues. He relies heavily on his television to communicate with the outside world, and he is struggling because this has broken down, along with his fridge freezer. J has his food delivered from a supermarket, but has had to throw out all his food, having no spare money to replace both items. This is causing him a lot of anxiety and stress.
£200 needed for a washing machine
K, who is struggling with financial hardship at the moment, has two young children to care for. Her current washing machine has recently broken and she cannot afford a new one. We would like to be able to bless this family with a washing machine. K is trying to get back on her feet after suffering with poor mental health and domestic abuse. Thank you.
£200 needed for a cooker and a fridge freezer
E is a single parent to a young daughter who has recently lost her job through redundancy and is claiming Universal Credit benefit. She has also recently split up from her partner and has moved into her own property. E, who is struggling to furnish her home, has had support from family and friends to get some furniture, as she walked out with nothing and needs help to purchase a cooker and fridge freezer to settle in her new home.
£195 needed for a bed and mattress
S told us how he ended up in prison, but this turned his life around and he was trained to be a Samaritan. After leaving prison, he was homeless and in hostels, and helped as many people as he could. S now has his own property and would like help to get a bed and mattress as he cannot afford these himself. His income is Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment. S is unable to work as he lost a leg, due to diabetes, and relies on a wheelchair. He would be grateful for any help. Thanks.
£200 needed for carpet fitting
E is a working mum with two children who have been diagnosed with autism. She is the only working adult, as her partner has a long-term, debilitating health condition. Currently they have no flooring in their house, except the kitchen and bathroom. The lack of flooring impacts on heating bills and safety issues for the children. We are hoping our amazing Acts donors will help this family with the cost of carpet fitting.
£200 needed for a double pushchair/buggy
This family has a girl aged one and a boy aged four who has a health condition and struggles to walk far. He is going to nursery and starts reception in September 2026. They have been told that the boy will always struggle with walking, so need a double buggy to accommodate both children day to day for school runs and so on. The cheapest suitable one they can find is £250. The father works full time and the mother cannot work because of health issues.