A Cornish community has rallied round in a breakfast to raise vital supplies for the region’s homeless.
Volunteers in Stoke Climsland held their fourth Community Breakfast for the Homeless and raised four trailer loads of supplies and more than £1,800 in cash.
Led by Stoke Climsland Church and sponsored by local businesses, free breakfasts were cooked up at the village Old School in exchange for donations of supplies and cash for local homeless charities.
In three hours nearly 200 delicious hot breakfasts were served whilst members of the team chatted to volunteers to help them understand some of the problems facing the local homeless.
In exchange, everything from sleeping bags, bedding and waterproof clothing, to new underwear, toiletries and food was donated, amounting to four trailer loads of goods.
Local businesses sponsoring the event included Composite Integration, based in Saltash, and Total Energy Solutions, based in Stoke Climsland.
Steve Leonard-Williams, Director of Composite Integration, said: “We’ve seen the great work of the annual ‘Community Breakfast for the Homeless’ and wanted to get involved. This type of event shows what a difference can be made when business and the local community work in partnership.”
Event organiser Kathryn Carnegie, Finance Director of Total Energy Solutions, said: “It is easy to imagine that homelessness doesn’t happen to people like us, especially living in beautiful Cornwall, but the majority of those on our streets are exactly that; ordinary people where a turn of events like job loss or family break-up has left them with nowhere to turn.
“An event like this goes a small way to helping make their life a little easier, especially now that the weather is getting colder and towards Christmas.”
Also helping organise the event was Dave Crawley who added: “There is a huge amount of generosity amongst our community. As well as donating used items, many people went out of their way to buy new underwear, socks, toiletries and food to help sustain those who are forced to live on our streets.”
Thanks to the dedicated team, the support of local business and the generosity of the community, more £1,800 in cash will join the goods and will be split between St Petrocs in Cornwall and Shekinah Mission in Plymouth.