Charitable organization, Christian Church, Christian faith, Clothing, registered charity, sleeping rough,
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
The UCKG HelpCentre has just launched its second national clothing appeal for 2010. Throughout September, all UCKG HelpCentre branches in England and Wales will be collecting unwanted clothes to be given to homeless people before the onset of winter.
This time UCKG is partnering St Mungo’s, a national charity dedicated to housing, supporting and caring for vulnerable and excluded people who either have been, or are at risk of, sleeping rough and homelessness. At the end of the month, the clothes will be sorted and handed over to the charity for distribution at its various centres.
As head of the UCKG in the UK, Bishop Pierre Dessaint said: “We would like to remind the public at large and all our church members that most of us have garments in our wardrobes that we no longer want.
“People who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, often lack warm clothing and are at the mercy of elements over the winter. If those of us who are more fortunate can spend a few minutes picking out perfectly useable items we no longer wear, many of them can be saved from needless suffering. I can assure you that everything we receive will be put to good use.”
Responding, St Mungo’s spokesperson Meg Salmon added: “We’re very grateful for people’s compassionate donations of clothing, money and time. St Mungo’s provides accommodation for around 1,500 people every night – about three quarters of these are men and a quarter women. Around half of our clients have slept rough at some point in their lives. Warm, decent clothing, particularly jackets, jumpers and trousers at this time of year, are much appreciated, particularly as people start to rebuild their lives, go for appointments with health and training services and recover their place in society. Our aim is to support them in this journey.”
UCKG HelpCentres have already started receiving gifts of clothes and will continue to accept these donations until the end of this month. To locate your nearest HelpCentre, please visit uckgnew.org. The addresses of all UK HelpCentres can be found under ‘Contact us’ together with maps showing how to find them.
As a registered charity itself, UCKG regularly works with other UK-based charities. Over the years these have included Barnardo’s, Crisis UK, and Oxfam.
St Mungo’s, which was formed in 1969, has four clear objectives. These are to:
St Mungo’s is also holding its first ever Woolly Hat Day on Friday 22 October, asking people to get their hats on and fundraise for its work helping homeless people. See www.woollyhatday.org
ENDS
Note to editors:
UCKG is a Christian church and registered charity that offers a range of practical support activities alongside spiritual support and comfort. It reached the UK in 1995 and has gone from strength to strength, providing support and spreading the Christian faith. There are 36 UCKG HelpCentre branches in England and Wales.
For further information please contact the UCKG HelpCentre Press Officer via e-mail on press@uckgnew.org or call 020 7686 6033.
