Help the homeless in Hertfordshire this Christmas

Hertfordshire Community Foundation (HCF) is appealing to local residents in the county to donate £5 or more to help some of the most vulnerable people in their communities.

Through the charity’s Love Herts Christmas appeal, your generosity could help feed a local child living in poverty, provide a hot meal on Christmas day to one of Hertfordshire’s homeless or go towards helping a family buy a basic appliance such as a washing machine or a child’s bed.

Homelessness in the county has been on the increase since the start of 2011/2012 with marked increases in Broxbourne, Dacorum, Hertsmere and St Albans. Herts Young Homeless (HYH), a homelessness charity claims to help around 220 people each month to access the appropriate housing and support.
Clare (not her real name), 16, from St Albans was having issues at home. When she first approached Herts Young Homeless she was not in education or training and without a stable home. She said: “With the help and support from HYH, I was able to stop ‘sofa-surfing’, which offered me the safety and stability I really needed. It also meant I was able to continue with my apprenticeship and move into a hostel in a planned way. I learned how to budget and support myself, and my relationship with my family has also improved.”

Helen Gray, Director of Herts Community Foundation, said: “Being forced to sleep rough or ‘sofa surf’ can be one of the most frightening experiences of a young adult’s life. Without appropriate support, their mental wellbeing can be affected and they can become trapped in a cycle of homelessness. Your generosity and support can go a long way to create an impact and break this vicious cycle. This is why Hertfordshire Community Foundation, a county wide charity that supports local organisations and groups, is calling on local residents to ‘give where you live’ this Christmas.”

Helen Elliott, CEO of Herts Young Homeless said:” We offer a variety of free services, from education in schools and family mediation through to supporting 16-24 year olds in their first homes or caring for adults of all ages who have mental health issues and housing needs. Demand for our services is increasing across Hertfordshire but we are delighted to have had the support of HCF which has generously given funds to support our emergency accommodation service Nightstop Herts and our involvement project for ex-service users, iPro.”

If you would like to make a difference this Christmas, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/hertscf/loveherts. Alternatively please send a cheque payable to ‘Hertfordshire Community Foundation’ to Foundation House, 2-4 Forum Place, Fiddlebridge Lane, Hatfield Herts AL10 0RN.