We throw a spotlight on four local charities, working hard to support those in our community looking for warmth, food and shelter. Please scroll down to see how you can support these fantastic organisations.
Pay it Forward with Lily’s Social Kitchen
Local family run café and social enterprise, Lily’s Social Kitchen, run a Pay It Forward scheme which means that if you are able to, you can pay for someone else to have a meal in the future. £3 will provide a hot meal, £5 will provide a food parcel.
Lily’s run two community cafés, one in Canterbury (The Hub Cafe, Canterbury Baptist Church) and at Ashford (Singleton Village Hall). People are able to access food and drink from these sites, and The Hub Cafe also hand out food parcels to those who need food provisions. These are free to those who take them, and the pay it forward scheme helps run this. Both cafes have free wifi.
The cafés are also registered as a Warm Space – an initiative that has been set up so that people can access free, warm, welcoming places to go so they don’t have to decide between ‘heat or eat’ during this cost of living crisis.
If you are a retailer and would be happy to support this campaign. We have A5 flyers that we can deliver to you for display on your counter.
Donate to the Canterbury Food Bank
The Canterbury Food Bank began as a community project developed in 2011, providing emergency food parcels, items, services and facilities to individuals in financial need and contributing to and co-operating with charities and other organisations to prevent or relieve poverty within Kent.
AND THERE ARE MORE!
The Canterbury Umbrella Centre provide a warm welcome for all. With affordable meals, weekly food packs, support and more, they are a fantastic local charity that need your support.
Burgate Coffee are running a suspended coffee option. When you pop in for your next latte, why not double it and you will be paying for a coffee for someone in need. Visit instagram to find out more.
If you know of other local businesses offering support this winter, tag MyCanterbury into their posts and we will reshare through our social channels and help spread the word!
Support Catching Lives
Catching Lives is an independent charity based in Canterbury, supporting rough sleepers and the vulnerably housed within Canterbury & East Kent.
Support our Homeless Charities
Canterbury is fortunate to have two homeless charities that are very active across the city and on many occasions work in tandem with each other.
Porchlight aim to prevent people from becoming homeless through the provision of timely and personalised support services, provide housing, education, employability and personal development support to the most vulnerable and isolated people in our communities. They also look to challenge negative attitudes towards people who are homeless, living with mental ill health, or living in poverty
Catching Lives is an independent charity based in Canterbury, supporting rough sleepers and the vulnerably housed within Canterbury & East Kent.
Help Porchlight provide a lifeline for people sleeping on the streets. Their team is out in all weathers, keeping them safe and bringing them in from the cold. A donation of any amount can support this work. Donate here
2. Tell Porchlight about someone who is rough sleeping
If you know about someone who is homeless, you can let them know via their website. The street team will use your information to find people you see who are sleeping rough and give them the support they need. Tell Porchlight
You can help Canterbury Food Bank in several ways
1) Drop off a donation to a supermarket or city centre collection point. You can find out which food and personal items are most needed by checking in with their Facebook page each week.
2) Make a monetary donation to help the work of the Food Bank. This helps to cover petrol and van costs, warehousing and other essential running costs. You can make a one-off donation or set up a monthly standing order. Even a small amount makes a difference.
3) Get together with friends, family or colleagues to collect a big bagful of essentials, and take them directly to the Food Bank warehouse in Whitstable or one of the district-wide collection points.
4) Volunteer ! Find out more details about all the above options HERE
