Poverty And Homeless Action Week
As part of our United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) commitment to respect human rights, Article 13 supports the Poverty and Homeless Action Week (PHAW) 2009, which runs from the 31 January to 8 February 2009. This year, Article 13 contributed to PHAW through volunteering a member of staff to St Paul’s homeless drop-in shelter in Kensington, which ran between the hours of 12pm and 4pm on the 28th of January 2009.
The volunteer dealt with the diverse needs of over 70 clients. There
were about 18 volunteers to offer a range of services, which included a
wide range of activities, such as:
- Preparing/ serving tea, coffee and nutritious meals for the service users.
- Cleaning the kitchen and general eating area.
- Offering a vital source of support for the staff and those who use St Paul’s shelter.
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Listening to, sharing stories and building relationships with
customers that have a diversity of skills, experiences and emotions.
- Working with customers in the designated art and music areas.
- Making the atmosphere fun, informal, safe, comfortable and an inviting place for vulnerable homeless people to spend time.
- Supporting customers through being there for them.
Article 13 wanted to add value to their in-house participation goals,
build interest for volunteering amongst staff and help meet the needs
of the homeless and disadvantaged at the grassroots level. This
participative action will be a part of our yearly commitment to the
homeless.
Daniel Francis, research assistant for Article 13, said: “Participating
at St Paul’s homeless drop-in shelter was really rewarding, through
offering a valuable service to a wide variety of people and listening
to amazing heart filled real life stories. It was a really humbling
experience!”
For more information please contact Fiona Banyard on fionab@article13.com or call 020 8840 4450. Please also see Article 13’s website www.article13.com
Tags: campaign, charity, christian, climate change, homeless, pledge, poverty, sustainability