It’s very easy to sit in the sadness of the situations and experiences of the people we support. There is injustice at every turn, and the frustration of fighting against things out of our control can wear a person down.
But its from this place of frustration and empathy that 87 brave founders rose to create Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness more than 30 years ago, and today I find myself thinking about the verb in our name, “Action”.
The office is always buzzing with action, you can see the movement of our front-line staff as they go from interview to consultation, house visits and welfare checks to our supported accommodation, walking into town on outreach, doing hospital visits, providing support at the job centre or accompanying someone to the GP or the dentist.
More than that you can feel the mental energy fizzing. Every brain, from the front-line workers to the board of trustees, is firing to find solutions and options for someone who through: stress, trauma, substance use or anxiety can’t see a way through for themselves.
It is a genuinely dynamic and positive place to be, and by taking a moment to reflect, it’s also very easy to be inspired to take action of your own.
Wherever we are on the chain of support there is always an action we can take.
Our dedicated team of regular volunteers take the action to give their time and energy, every person who attended last Friday’s event took the action to buy a ticket and enjoy the show (let alone the gifts of talent and generosity from the performers and venue), and every comment, like and share on social media is an action that spreads the word and sustains the work we do.
I am invigorated by action, and I am excited to tell you that in just 3 or 4 short months we have two more events that give you a way to take action and join that chain of support.
Our 24 Hour Challenge on the 19th of September gives 50 people the opportunity to walk (or run!) the length of the borough, carrying everything they need for a night’s shelter and return the next day on a budget of just £13.97.
Or on World Homelessness Day (10/10) you can take part in our Big Sleep Out, we have just 70 places at All Saint’s Church, but we would love to be joined by many more people sleeping out in their own gardens or with their school, sports club or office team.
In the coming weeks I will be releasing registration forms and fundraising packs for both events, so please keep an eye on our social media channels, our website, in local shops and of course your impact news.
Let’s honour the founders and take real, tangible action on homelessness in Kingston.
