Suzuki lends a hand to help homeless people during this festive season…
Crisis are the national charity for homeless people, formed in 1967 as an urgent response to the growing homelessness crisis and for the past two years the Suzuki Press Office says that it has been very honoured to support their volunteer team. Crisis provide vital services and supplies to so many over the Christmas period, without whom, they would be left with no support and no help.
They launched their annual appeal for donations of vehicles for Crisis at Christmas 2020, and for the third year, following Suzuki’s loan of 3 vehicles last year, the company has provided 4 cars this festive period, 2 x Vitara Hybrids and 2 x S-Cross Hybrids.
During the project, the fleet complete approximately 250 jobs a day, delivering resources and transporting volunteers, service providers and guests between centres. For many, Crisis at Christmas is the gateway to helping people take their first steps out of homelessness. In 2018/9 Crisis helped almost 1,000 find a secure, stable home.
This year however, Christmas will look very different, it has been a year of significant changes for most people and Crisis have had to take the difficult decision to rely on a much smaller number of very experienced volunteers who have been involved with the project for many years so Suzuki says it is honoured that they can continue to support this remarkable charity.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, people experiencing homelessness will be especially vulnerable this winter. On average, they are three times more likely to suffer from a chronic health condition. For people sleeping rough or living in shared temporary emergency accommodation, it is impossible to follow sanitation guidance or self-isolate. Crisis have been working hard throughout the pandemic to provide people who are currently being given temporary accommodation in hotels with clean and comfortable clothing, food parcels, personal hygiene items and fun activities. Crisis will continue to do the same over Christmas, as well as putting together wellbeing packs for the many people around the country who have been severely affected by the pandemic.
Ian Richards, Head of Crisis at Christmas, said: “I am stunned by the big-heartedness of our supporters and especially at Christmas time. I would like to thank Suzuki for their loan of four outstanding vehicles, which helps us provide homeless people with vital support at Christmas. Our guests, the staff and volunteers that I have the pleasure of working alongside, tell me that they are grateful that our work at Christmas time is just the beginning of ending someone’s homelessness. During our time with guests we encourage them to become a member of Crisis where they can access support to end their homelessness. It’s personally rewarding that this all begins with the work my team and our supporters make happen.”
If you would like to donate to Crisis this year and help change someone’s life, you can donate online and give the gift of a Crisis Christmas.
https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/donate-to-crisis-this-christmas/