After the storms in February, March brought with it stability and blessings.
Our distribution continued as normal with donations from local stores, food from restaurants, and a few extras including toilet paper thanks to a partnership with Beta Charitable Trust.
We were particularly touched to see passersby asking what we were doing and then returning to volunteer, and some even turning up with a carload of toiletries pre-packed into male and female provisions for guests.
On that Sunday we were distributing the last of the toiletries we had, in the knowledge that we had only enough for approximately half of the guests we serve. Just as we had run out of supplies, two women walked up to us and said they had brought boxes of toiletries if we were willing to distribute them. It was a God send! The timing couldn’t have been better. It meant that we had enough for our guests and extras for the coming week!
We can’t thank our new donors enough, they are allowing us to expand our service to meet our guests’ specific needs; new shoes, clothes, sleeping bags, tents, and even books to help with their training and allow them to take the next step away from the need to use our services.
This will be needed even more in April with the expected increase in energy prices, food bills, and the knock-on effects that will have on households. It’s expected that poverty will rise in the UK and we hope to be in a position to support those who find themselves making the unfortunate choice of heating or eating.
Everyone is welcome at Children of Adam, no questions asked. No one should be left to go hungry, and we hope to do our bit to support London’s most vulnerable, reducing food waste as we go.