OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IN THE UK

The UK government implemented National lockdown (quarantine) of all areas in the UK to stop the spread of COVID19. The lockdown (quarantine) has affected the many homeless people within London and more especially within Streatham Southwest London where homelessness is an increasingly visible problem.  About 50 homeless people who weekly come to the centre for food, shower, and medical checkup are now dispersed because of COVID 19 lockdown. Some have been given accommodation in hotels but no food. Food delivery and checkup is a problem and reaching out to vulnerable people in the usual manner has become a problem too. Some vulnerable women that comes to the centre for toiletries and other hygiene items need to be reached. Some elderly people that are self- Isolating also need to be reached.

Proposed Program

 The Daughters of Divine Love is implementing the programme in two phases.

With the COVID19 mortality reaching more than 14,500 and confirmed cases stretching to 103,093, in the UK  and it is getting worse by the day, it has been clear that our service and support for the continuation of our mission to help the vulnerable and the homeless is now. There will be no other time for such a noble cause in history far greater than what we are faced with today.

Our mission at this moment is food security for homeless people. The Daughters work in collaboration with Spires to help the homeless by providing food items and distribute them to different hotels/venues where the government allocated as temporary accommodations while lockdown is in effect. We  buy foodstuffs and  toiletries, like Breakfast cereal, Porridge oats, Coffee & tea, Tinned fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines), Tinned soup, Instant soup and noodles, Tinned meats (spam, ham, Corned beef, Tinned fruit, Tinned vegetables, Tinned tomatoes, Baked beans, Tinned puddings, Jam/marmalade/Marmite, Sauces (ketchup/mayonnaise, brown sauce), Cordial, Biscuits, Sugar, Rice, Dried herbs & spices, Cooking sauces, Milk powder, Crisps

Toiletries:

Razors, Combs, Shaving foam, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Shower gel, Shampoo & Conditioner (including Afro-specific brands such as Palmers, Pink, ORS Olive Oil and Cantu)

Deodorant.

We help to deliver food with our car to different hotels where some of them have been placed.

One of our on-going projects is helping the vulnerable and providing soup kitchen and providing accommodation for homeless people as a congregation at other parts of the world where our sisters are working. We do this by getting a place of our own and providing meals to homeless persons, less privileged, elderly, and poor people weekly. We also provide them with toiletries and other needs. It is our plan in this second phase to help people to be able to withstand shock in the future by replicating the same in south west London and helping them with looking for accommodation and provide them with hot meals weekly.

Your support will help us to continue in our work of feeding and taking care of the hungry and the vulnerable in our society today.

Proposed Summary of Budget

 Nobody is sure how long this will last so we’ve prepared provisions just in case it rains for a while. Our budget for buying of items like food, toiletries, transport is ($5,000) We plan to help 50 homeless persons, $100 dollars per person for the provision

Total —–$5,000

Our plan as a congregation is to continue on our own to run soup kitchen where we can serve hot food give counseling/ health check and look for accommodation for rough sleepers which can be estimated to $35,000 dollars for at least 1 year.

Counseling/Health check for 50 ————$5,000

Accommodation for 8—————————$35,000.

Total ———$40,000

Grand Total = $45,000

Conclusion: What the Fund will do for them.

The fund will help to provide food and other needs to homeless persons in southwest London. It will also help to provide health checks, counseling, accommodation for some, and continuous hot meal weekly.

It is also our common desire to help the helpless in our society today; to make sure that the less privileged get cared for and to fulfill our mission of love.

Please donate.