A few weeks ago we have together with Southwark Council been able to emergency place 11 of our guests in different flats across Southwark this maybe for a couple of months. The guests were so happy and grateful for this. We need to provide each guest with food vouchers and phone top ups as well as make sure they are not falling ill. This is not part of our usual programme so we are incurring extra costs for this.
A week ago the remaining 17 guests were medically checked and all were cleared and all of them were placed in a hotel where they have their own room, toilet and shower and be 3 meals a day.
We now support 29 guests for the next months (which is not usually how Robes works) to get them through this time and to progress them into more sustainable, long term solutions.
St Johns the Evangelist East Dulwich has also saved the guests during this epidemic by allowing the guests that remained to stay in their shelter as we had nowhere else to go, this bought us enough time to organise other forms of accommodation. Julie Whitney has been a beacon of light during this time and has enabled Robes to keep housing 19 guests during this very unsure period.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ROBES
As mentioned above Robes is in a time like everyone else, that we have not expected. We continue to support 24 guests in temporary accommodation. Giving food, phone top ups and advise to 29 guests please do continue to support Robes to help the 29 homeless people we are trying to move into longer term solutions. You can donate by clicking this link: https://www.justgiving.com/robes/donate/?utm_source=website_cid188928&utm_medium=buttons&utm_content=robes&utm_campaign=donate_purple
Thank you
A GUESTS STORY
After recently returning to the UK following a two-year spell abroad, I found myself in a financial crisis. Having been referred to Robes by the brilliant Southwark based day centre (The Manna Society), I was introduced to Advice Worker Marc and immediately placed into a Winter Shelter. This provided me with a roof over my head every night, as well as hearty meals every morning and every evening moving forward. The impact this had on me was immense. The Robes Project took a massive weight off my shoulders, putting me in the best possible place to focus on Job searching and more permanent Accommodation. With the help of Marc, Shelter Volunteers and my fellow shelter guests, I had managed to secure a job, within a couple weeks of being apart of the Winter Shelter. What followed, shortly afterwards, was a successful referral to ‘Just Homes’ (an organisation providing accommodation for people seeking to rebuild their lives).
Two and a half weeks after being introduced to Marc, and the gift that is the Robes Project, I was able to move on from the Winter Shelter, into a property with a fixed address, meaning I had time to focus solely on my career – working hard and saving money even harder. This, in turn, will allow me to move on and find myself my own personal Flat in the near future. Without Robes, I dread to think of what might of happened. Sleeping outside; Homelessness – it’s a reality nobody wants to face. I’m living proof that it CAN happen to ANYONE. Without the work that the Robes Project does to help those who need a helping hand-up, I most definitely wouldn’t be in the position I find myself in today – being blessed, granted a second chance when I had feared all hope was lost. ‘Thank-You’ doesn’t quite cover nor show just how much I appreciate all the effort that was put in to help me over the last couple of weeks, but for now at least, ‘Thank-You’ will have to do. Once I’m well and truly back on my feet, I look forward to nothing more than offering my services and becoming a volunteer for the Robes Project. What Robes does, is simply unbelievable. Offering shelter to those who find themselves homeless as well as offering support by assisting in the rebuilding process for those that need help getting back on their feet. This project is a blessing.
Again – I would like to Thank Marc, Nick, Crispin, Barina, Isabel, Chair of Trustees George, the rest of the wonderful Robes Team and ALL of the Volunteers/Team-Leaders across the circuit of beautiful Shelters.