Care home residents help pack parcels for homeless and refugees

ELDERLY residents at a care home in Coventry spent the day assembling packs to distribute to the homeless.

Residents at Clarendon House in Allesley Village took part in the heartwarming initiative as a way to help them ‘have a sense of purpose and lead fulfilling lives,’ bosses say.

Charity Hand on Heart launched the campaign which has seen 1,700 essential item packs distributed to rough sleepers, asylum seekers and refugees, including those from Ukraine. Packs have been distributed in 25 locations across the UK including Birmingham, Leicester and London.

Each essential item pack contains 14 items including a polo shirt, t-shirt, underwear, socks, oral hygiene kit, wet wipes, deodorants, shower gel, first aid plasters, blanket and a drawstring bag.

In total, 23,800 items have been distributed at outreach food drives and food bank charities.

Hand on Heart say 71 volunteer families were involved in assembling the essential packs, plus children from three schools and residents from Clarendon

House, who assembled 20 packs in total.

Co-founder of Hand on Heart, Afzal Pradhan said: “We are seeing increases in rough sleepers on the streets - which is expected to worsen with Covid-related support ending, and the significant rises in the cost of living.”

“The items in the spring essential packs are carefully thought out; from the jackets to keep our guests dry to new polo shirts that can be worn to job interviews.

“The items in the essential packs provide rough sleepers with some hygiene and dignity which we all take for granted.”