Donating to Make a Difference

We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to make a difference for those who need that extra bit of support. Food insecurity is a huge issue for lots of families- many rely on local churches, such as those we have chosen to support, to secure food each week. We listened to our Carers and Clients, to gain some insight into support hubs in their community which could do with a helping hand. Last week, we were pleased to donate a number of food boxes to two selected churches, as recommended by those in the Caremark community.

The hampers contain food and drinks collected by all of the fabulous Caremark Team and will be donated through the churches to those in less fortunate positions. We asked for donations of only lifelong food and drinks, or items that would remain shelf-stable for a longer period of time so that recipients could get the most use possible out of the items.

The first church we have chosen to donate to is The Hope Centre. Many of our Support Workers attend the service at The Hope Centre on a Sunday, which is collated each week by the mum of one of our Clients. We encourage our Support Workers to use The Hope Centre as a place to gather, a place to find solace, but it’s also a great opportunity to meet other members of their community and get to know their colleagues outside of work. Take a look on our website for more information about this. The Hope Centre’s commitment to serving their community has led to the opening of their own registered charity, The Hope Community Foundation.

“Hope Community Foundation has a mission to transform the local community, giving people hope, purpose and meaning by empowering and releasing each person to live their best life.”

We also chose to donate to St. Thomas Crookes Church, which is attended by our Clinical Lead as well as several of our Support Workers. In the past, the church has kindly hosted seasonal parties for us and are always extremely accommodating to our Clients and Staff. Each Tuesday, they host a food bank drop-in session which is where our donations will be used. The church also aims to provide wider support to its users, to help them improve their situation so that they no longer need to access food banks.

“Seeking social transformation for those who are poor or on the margins of society is a core part of St. Thomas Crookes’ vision to serve the city of Sheffield and its people…”

We want to show our appreciation for these two churches, which play such an important role in the lives of our Clients and Support Workers. Both churches have a huge impact within their community, and we were keen to contribute to this. The community is at the forefront of our work, and we are proud to be able to support organisations like The Hope Centre and St. Thomas Crookes wherever possible. We hope the food hampers make a difference for those who receive them!