Please help us reach our 50% target before Christmas!
A Message from our CEO, Anita McCallum
When we launched our Cold Relief in Bedford (CRIB) appeal back in November, we had our hearts set on trying to raise £20,000 (50% of the CRIB target) before Christmas, and thanks to the INCREDIBLE support of our friends in the Bedford area, we’ve nearly done it! That’s over £18,000 raised in under six weeks – isn’t that wonderful?
We only need to raise £2,000 to hit our halfway target – Please Help!
The donations have come from people of all walks of life: Generous individual supporters, families, nurseries, schools, local businesses, community groups, Rotary Clubs, Fireworks Associations, Beavers, Churches, and groups of neighbours who have worked hard to put together collections of items. We are very grateful to you all, not just for the funds but for the blankets, warm clothes, food, and toiletries, too. We are extremely thankful for these. But, the hard work doesn’t stop here. We need your help to reach the 50% target (£20,000) before Christmas to keep us on track – and there’s only 9 days left. Please think what you can do to help us reach our first milestone….
What is CRIB (in case you’ve missed our messages)?
CRIB has become THE landmark appeal for giving in Bedford during the coldest months of the year. We are asking our supporters to think of our beneficiaries, and to share what money, they can afford with those who are already struggling in the current climate. We acknowledge that EVERYONE is having to dig deep this year and times are tough for most people.
We are seeing 50 people a day come to the centre for food, warmth, clean clothes, showers and support and advice with housing. As you can imagine, if you are homeless or facing becoming homeless, this is extremely stressful and many of the people we support are struggling with their mental health and in some cases are using alcohol and drugs to help deal with their situation.
Visitors to our centre are from all walks of life, some are homeless, others still have a roof or a bed at someone else’s home, some are working and others are just struggling to afford their heating and to put food on the table. The people we help could be your neighbours, your relatives, even a nurse looking after you at the local hospital – homelessness is closer to many of us than ever before.
If you have donated, I offer you my heartfelt thanks. If you are able to donate, please do >> SMART!: Help us to keep our centre open during the cold winter months! (enthuse.com)
You can also help by:
- Sharing this email
- Chasing up someone who said they were going to donate but hasn’t got round to it yet
- Asking your employer to make a small donation
Thank you for taking the time to read this email and I wish you a warm and happy Christmas!
Anita