HOMELINK Lewes
HOMELINK’S 2023 WINTER APPEAL
A campaign to raise funds to help HOMELINK applicants and clients who are in housing crisis and struggling to afford essential household items.
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‘Often people have few or almost no possessions when they are initially housed in flats and houses, with nothing on the floor, no blinds or curtains, no beds or bedding and nothing to cook with or to keep food cold,’ says HOMELINK’s Lead Small Grants Administrator, Gill Short.
With the ongoing cost of living crisis it’s a bleak picture financially for many, but especially so for the vulnerable HOMELINK clients and their families who, daily, now must make difficult decisions such as whether to pay rent, heat their homes or eat because their incomes do not fully cover living costs.
As we move into the coldest time of year, we are launching our 2023 Winter Appeal so that we can continue to help those facing homelessness and/or struggling to afford the essential basics they need to live.
CAN YOU HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE LOCALLY THIS CHRISTMAS?
Those who have recently escaped homelessness or unsuitable housing situations often find themselves housed in properties without floor coverings, furniture or white goods, and unable to afford such items themselves.
HOMELINK’s small grants service was set up to assist local families and individuals who could not afford essential household items. HOMELINK source, pay for, supply and fit goods as necessary. HOMELINK does NOT give cash for applicants to purchase their own goods/services.
Demand for our service has grown exponentially as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. In 2023, we have already provided 261 one-off grants to provide home essential items or provide emergency support with start-up costs when moving to a new property, as well as energy saving grants for carpets and curtains and immediate crisis grants.
A donation from you will enable HOMELINK to continue to provide the vital front-line support we offer individuals and families in crisis in the Lewes District. HOMELINK is uniquely placed to help vulnerable clients in the way that will assist them best, but we need additional funding to meet the extra calls for help.
Alternatively, you can fundraise independently for the appeal over Christmas and the New Year here on JustGiving. Just get in touch here if you’d like some help to do this.
ABOUT HOMELINK
‘Some individuals and families we support have faced considerable hardship following domestic abuse, relationship breakdowns, disability and physical or mental illness. It can be very traumatic for them to have finally secured a roof over their head only to find themselves without the essentials to make it into a home.’
HOMELINK is a unique volunteer-led charity that has been helping people into homes in the Lewes District for almost 25 years. We provide interest-free loans for landlord deposits and advanced rent so that those in crisis can move into homes rather than sleep rough or endure vulnerable living conditions. We also provide small grants to referred clients which helps people moving into a new home with the cost of essential household items.
HOMELINK’s clients are some of the most vulnerable and marginalised within our community. We assist those coping with chronic health issues, redundancy, and emotional crises as well as those leaving hospital, prison or the care system.
HOMELINK offers a hand up, not a handout, to those needing help.
TO FIND OUT MORE
You can find out more about the service that HOMELINK provides in the Lewes District by visiting our website
If you’d like to keep up to date with our news and events you can sign up here for our newsletter and supporter updates.
