Across the Diocese of Westminster, Christmas was marked by volunteers giving up their time to deliver essential supplies to those who are struggling financially or with isolation. One example of this was seen in Hitchin, where a major organisational feat was carried to ensure local families could celebrate Christmas. Throughout December, a team of more than 20 volunteers put together 72 luxury food hampers and packaged up 300 Christmas presents. On Christmas Eve, the presents and food hampers were delivered to 36 families in Hitchin and Letchworth. The team of volunteers, which included former England Goalkeeper David James, were able to provide the families with all the fresh vegetables and meat needed for Christmas dinner, as well as toys and gifts for parents and children.
The festive deliveries were organised by local charity Feed Up Warm Up, in partnership with Caritas Westminster. The items needed for the hampers and gifts were collected thanks to North Hertfordshire District Council, which provided supermarket vouchers, local residents, who donated gifts and luxury food items, and the local branches of Morrisons and Wilkinsons, which organised toy appeals to help fill the Christmas sacks.
The parcels were received with gratitude by the families who would otherwise have struggled to provide Christmas presents and the usual treats for their children. One mother who received a delivery on Christmas Eve sent this thank you message to the project organisers, which was typical of many others:
‘Thank you all for the amazing treats and gifts you gave us, not only for today but throughout most of this year. We really appreciate everything you have done and are beyond grateful to have had a somewhat normal Christmas thanks to all your help and generosity. Have a blessed Christmas and God bless you all.’
Many of the families who received these hampers have been supported since May 2020 by Feed Up Warm Up, a homelessness outreach project, in collaboration with Caritas Westminster and the Hitchin Food Provision Team, a local initiative set up in response to COVID-19. Between May and September, Feed Up Warm Up delivered more than 1,900 nutritious hot meals to these families, as well as food parcels which continue to be provided for an average of 40 families a week, with referrals growing. Caritas Westminster, which is involved in a wide range of social action projects across North London and Hertfordshire, has supported Feed Up Warm Up’s work with the homeless since the project began two years ago.
Speaking about the current need in Hitchin, Liz Wills, Caritas Westminster Development Worker for North Hertfordshire, said: ‘The difference now is the number of families with children who are coming forward needing support. These are people who may have never needed help before but who have seen a dramatic cut in their income since the coronavirus lockdown.’
In 2021, the number of families seeking help has already increased. Liz describes the effect of the current lockdown: ‘Already this month we are supporting 14 more families and we have now extended our support to people in Stevenage. And this is just around half of the families who have approached the Hitchin Food Provision Team for help.’
Caritas Westminster has seen a similar picture across the Diocese of Westminster. Dependence on help from parish groups and schools is the reality for many people at the beginning of 2021. Since March 2020, Caritas Westminster has offered supermarket vouchers to schools and parishes to hand out to those in need. In total, Caritas Westminster has distributed nearly £175,000 in supermarket vouchers to 122 parishes and schools. This has been a lifeline for over 6,000 people from around 1,800 households.
If you would like to volunteer, you can find out about the needs near you on the Caritas Volunteer Service website.
If you are involved in providing emergency food, you can learn how to turn your project into a long-term programme of support for the most vulnerable in your community by joining our Road to Resilience programme.
If you would like to support the work of Caritas Westminster, you can donate to Caritas Westminster here.
Feed Up Warm Up is a homeless support project running drop-in centres in Hitchin and Stevenage and outreach across North Hertfordshire. Find out more about Feed Up Warm Up here.
Banner image shows regular food hampers prepared for families in January 2021.
Image shows the completed Christmas hampers for one family.
Image shows a volunteer packaging Christmas gifts.
