As the evenings get shorter and the summer perhaps (if we’re lucky) has a last attempt to shine on us, it’s time to start thinking about volunteering for the Cambridge Churches Homelessness Project.
Homelessness has once again been in the local news for all the wrong reasons, with the sudden death of one of last year’s CCHP guests, and the man seen begging with a placard stating his army number. Sadly we know from others that one of the ways into homelessness is to leave the army.
You can help! On Wednesday evenings in December, January and February Castle Street will be hosting the CCHP, working with volunteers drawn from across Church at Castle.
We need people to cover all of the following:
- Welcomer/washer upper from 1900-2200 (2 people per night)
- Cook 1900-2130 (3 people per night)
- Overnight shift 1900-0800 (4 people per night, who might also be the welcomers/cooks)
- Early morning clear up – Thursdays 0700-0800 (1 person per morning)
- Rota and volunteer co-ordinator (1 or 2 people)
- Pray at home on a Wednesday evening (everyone!)
Contact us if you’re able to help fill any of these roles.
What is the Cambridge Churches Homelessness Project?
In 2013 the Cambridge churches worked together and alongside other agencies to provide Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) by offering up to ten homeless men a hot meal and a warm place to sleep in the church hall. But when SWEP ended, after sometimes only three nights, people were back sleeping on the streets, in shop doorways and garages.
In 2014 we offered continuous provision for 3 months, getting to know the guests and managing to help some help themselves out of homelessness.
In 2015 we aim to offer the same friendship, welcome, a hot meal shared around tables with guests and volunteers together, a safe, warm space to sleep and extra help to enable people to leave the streets.
A different church hosts each night, with volunteers often coming from a number of churches, church colleges and university students.