Homelessness is a familiar and depressing feature of our streets. One charity in Newcastle is tackling the problem with a food 'shelter' called the People's Kitchen.
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Shocked by news about the death of a homeless man, Alison Kay set up The People’s Kitchen in 1985. After talking to homeless people, and liaising with the Police and Social Services, she inaugurated the very first People's Kitchen. After a year, Alison had a team of 40 volunteers and together they opened the first People’s Kitchen to support the homeless by offering food, clothes, and a warm fire to anyone who anyone who needed it. Remaining true to Alison’s principles; the Kitchen provides ‘friendship and food’ to anyone who needs support and has done so for over 30 years.
Even today, the Friends of the Kitchen are forced to live an incredibly hard life. They might be sleeping rough, or recently placed in housing with no belongings. Many of them don’t have access to nutritious food; many have no support system around them. The People’s Kitchen is their safe haven. It is a constant for people whose lives can be chaotic. The Kitchen makes life on the streets a little easier by sharing hot meals and packages of clothing, toiletries, food, mobile phones and sleeping bags. They work with services to enable people to move off the streets and then provide food, furniture and bedding to the Friends when they move into their first home. They also offer friendship and professional services to improve mental wellbeing.
Imagine being on the streets without a home and with no shelter, central heating or home comforts. It’s one of the most harrowing things that can happen to anyone. Homelessness is a major problem in Britain’s cities. Worse still, it has been increasing at an alarming rate over the last decade
Shelter estimates that there are now more than 440,000 homeless people in England, some of whom live rough. In the North East, the problem is acute with more than 21,000 people without a home. The homeless rely on all the help they can get at the People's Kitchen
The People's Kitchen opened an indoor canteen in 1994 before moving to its current home - in a former Christian Science Church on Bath Lane a couple of years ago. Many years on, the People's Kitchen remains true to its principles, providing "friendship and food “The homeless get food and friendship at the People's Kitchen three nights a week.
"The Kitchen gives out free clothing and food, and provides a listening ear. Homelessness is a vicious circle, one that I hoped I would never get into," says one rough sleeper. He says that the People's Kitchen has given him a valuable lifeline. "It's a place where if you're hungry, you can get something to eat". "People try to help you. If you're depressed, they talk to you."
Newcastle Mothers' Union have tried to support the Kitchen in a variety of ways by buying clothes, trainers and jogging bottoms and toiletries throughout the year but the biggest contribution is by putting together gift packs for the Christmas party. These used to be shoe boxes full of treats. Now these are collected in bags which are easier for the Kitchen’s Friends to carry.
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| 150 Bags provided in 2023 | Packing the van with Bags |
The Friends are delighted with these and many comment that they love the greetings card inside every bag and on their behalf,
Thank you, Mothers’ Union.