There are almost 100 youngsters with whom we are in regular contact from new babies to students studying for A Levels. A quite disproportionate number of them have a disability. Individually each one is important to us and birthdays are always remembered. Where they miss out on so many things their peers enjoy, we try to enrich their lives with outings, like the visit to Hounslow Urban Farm, Polka Theatre workshops and adventure camps.
We have 17 trained befrienders most of them working with families, so they have much to do with the children. They support their families in a wide range of troubling situations – abuse, debt, eviction, homelessness, debt, mental and physical illnesses, disability, immigration problems. They are always there to listen face-to-face and on the phone.
When families are destitute and really struggling we can be there to provide bags of food, toiletries and household products. Cultural and religious requirements are always taken into consideration. These parcels are always delivered, often by a befriender. The crises often occur when benefits are being reassessed.
When a family on a low income is moving to a totally empty property or when large items break down, the furniture team is ready to help out. From pots and pans to beds and wardrobes they will hope to have them in store – depending on how the donations have been coming in. For a child who has been sleeping on the floor a new bed is such a joy! Some members of the team offer DIY, provide kitchenware or source bedding.
This project has close links with the others. As the seasons change, we can provide appropriate clothes for the babies and children. Then we can put together all that a new mother might need as she awaits the birth of her baby - and on occasions we have to respond to an emergency delivery.
The Office may look like a traditional office, and there is much administrative work to be done both here and remotely to help the charity run smoothly. However as it is the only common place we have, it is also a hub for the sorting and collection of food, for the packing of presents, for meetings and for appointments.
Bert Hyde, our founder, “One of God’s diamonds”
©2022
Christian CARE Association Registered Charity No: 1044099
Header photograph of Morden, courtesy of Merton Council