Harvest Festival has always been an incredibly important time of the year for the Nightshelter.
The generous donations of food and other essential items that we receive during Harvest time enable us to provide breakfast and a cooked evening meal each day for our 17 residents, plus other basics such as shampoo and toothpaste – essentials that most of us take for granted.
These donations help to save us around £27,000 per year, every penny of which is reinvested in other vital services that we provide for those experiencing homelessness in Hampshire, such as counselling, advocacy, support work and financial advice, to name just a few. We also use the food donations we receive in cooking workshops that give our residents the chance to learn basic cooking skills, to help them on the road to independent living.
Food poverty is a growing reality for many families and individuals in the UK, with food banks and other charities providing a critical lifeline to so many people in need. We routinely hand out more and more food parcels to our former residents, since a large number of them have been experiencing financial problems arising from changes to the welfare system.
As we head towards Autumn, our food stores are almost empty again and we are very much in need of certain items, all of which are listed here. If you celebrate Harvest Festival and would like to donate something to the Nightshelter, we would be very grateful for your support.
As you can imagine, receiving such a big influx of donations takes quite a lot of sorting out, so if you intend to donate a large assortment of food items, please do give us notice by emailing the Nightshelter at admin@winchesterbeacon.org.uk or calling 01962 862050.
Thank you once again for all your kind and generous support.
