South-West based homeless charity Alabaré have launched an emergency appeal to support those affected by homelessness after the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.
With the virus known to be particularly dangerous to the vulnerable, the charity have warned of the danger it poses to those it supports with roughly 75% of its service users suffering from an underlying health condition.
Sue Gumbleton, operations manager for Alabaré’s Homeless Services said: "Rough sleepers do not have access to the soap and water we are all using to help protect ourselves. They do not have the means to self-isolate. The vast majority are more susceptible to illness and many have complex underlying health problems. If the virus does spread, homeless people could be amongst the first to die. Our dedicated teams are on the front line, working around the clock to try and make sure this doesn’t happen. We are getting people into our homes where we can support them if they fall ill, helping vulnerable and scared people to self-isolate, making sure they have a safe home, food and medication in this time of urgent need."
The coronavirus pandemic is not only threatening Alabaré’s residents and staff but is also putting huge strains on the charity financially. The charity's services are facing unprecedented challenges and are putting emergency procedures into place. They have also incurred significant additional costs including adapting communal living spaces for self-isolation, providing food and supplies, and covering staffing costs when colleagues are off sick or in isolation.
Rebecca Mullen, Alabaré’s Fundraising and Development Manager added: "We have been severely financially impacted by the outbreak. At a time when we are spending money to save lives, we have had to postpone all our fundraising events for the next six months. We urgently need to raise £100,000 and have launched our emergency appeal in order to raise the funds we need to be able to continue to support the homeless and vulnerable through these uncertain times."
Alabaré are appealing to the public to support them.
To find out more about Alabaré’s emergency appeal and to donate, please visit - https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/appeal
Notes
At Alabaré we support people to overcome the barriers of homelessness, mental ill-health and learning disabilities in-order to have a home, health, choice and independence.
Alabaré Christian Care and Support provide the highest standards of accommodation and support to disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our communities in order that they can have a home, health, choice and independence. Since 1991, Alabaré have been working with people facing disadvantage through homelessness, mental ill-health, learning disability or a combination of these. We provide housing and personalised support based on the individual needs and aspirations of each person, tackling underlying causes and giving them the skills and confidence to move forward with their lives.