Volunteers' Week day 6
What a year it's been! It was June 2020 when our plan to move to a single shelter venue was announced. Our volunteers rallied round to make it happen.
It was June 2020 when our plan to move to a single static venue was announced. Our volunteers rallied round to make it happen and to make it a success. It’s been truly incredible.
During the summer of 2020 we were offered a temporary venue in Stoke Newington and, before moving in and serving our guests, dozens of volunteers rolled up their sleeves to get the shelter ready.
The place needed a little more than quick spruce up and furnishing. We called on our shelter volunteers and they responded in droves with enthusiasm and so much good will, as well as paint brushes, and biscuits to keep everyone going.
They cleaned, painted, repaired, built furniture, put up curtains and much, much more. Volunteers with ‘hidden’ skills and talents – carpentry, plumbing, tiling, construction – to name but a few, came to the fore.
They collected shelter equipment: sheets, bedding, towels, toiletries, kitchen-ware, books, games, and a myriad of other items from all over Hackney in a big transportation operation.
They sorted, cleaned, polished, made beds, stocked food cupboards and, with the finishing touches done, opened the doors to our first guests on 1st November 2020.
Thank you to everyone who showed such incredible determination to get the building ready and for running the shelter over the past seven months. We are especially grateful to the Nawaal Fund for buying furniture and white goods, and all the non-perishable food to fill those cupboards.
We know we will be able to stay at the Stokey venue throughout Summer 2021 and when we need to move, that’s what we’ll do. We can and will, with the help of volunteers, do it all again!
For now, we need volunteers to cater for our shelters and to join our teams in Stokey and at our Women’s Shelter in Clapton. Please email [email protected] to find out how you can get involved.