Charity kitchen serves up help for homeless
KIND-HEARTED Rochdalians have got together to ensure the town’s most vulnerable people don’t go hungry.
New charity Rochdale Help the Homeless sees volunteers run a soup kitchen in the town centre, providing hot food, drinks and clothing for those in need on a weekly basis.
The group was started by Paul Brooks, who was once homeless - and follows reports from charity Shelter that the number of homeless people in the UK is at its highest level for five years.
Since starting to give aid on his own around a year ago, Paul has been joined by a group of like-minded helpers, who work with him to provide support each Sunday afternoon from Rochdale Town Hall.
In the past few months the group has significantly grown, with more than 800 people now supporting the charity on Facebook.
A spokesperson said: “The charity was started by Paul, who would drive around Rochdale on his motorbike making tea for the homeless. Paul was well-versed in homelessness, having spent three years on the streets himself.
“As the amount of people he was seeing began to grow, he decided to create a Facebook page in order to ask for donations of clothing and food.
“We now have a hard core of volunteers who cook, collect donations and meet to give something back to the homeless.
“Numbers have grown from helping seven people on the first Sunday to over 50 last week.
“With previous experience of working with the homeless and backgrounds in local industry, the group can also offer real advice, as well as practical help.”
Members are now working to find an indoor space within which to run the group, to store donations and to provide shelter for users in the winter.
Fundraising groups are also planned to further the charity’s work and to buy items such as sleeping bags and tents.
The group provides aid each Sunday from 2pm to 4pm and is looking for more donations to help with growing demand for services.
Items needed include tea, coffee, long life milk, clothing, hygiene items, bottled water, crisps, biscuits, juice cartons, tents and sleeping bags.
For more information, search for Help the Homeless Rochdale on Facebook or visit the group at the Town Hall on a Sunday.