Put yourself in the shoes of a homeless person
By Ellie Vasey
A Canterbury homeless charity has set up a campaign to raise more money for homeless people this winter.
Porchlight a Canterbury based charity is running a ‘One Week Without’ campaign which starts on January the 22nd.
One Week Without requires you to get sponsored to go without one or more of your home comforts for seven days.
Chris Thomas, who works for the communications at Porchlight said: “Winter is the most deadly time of year for people who are homeless.
“We have a team out on the streets helping people every day, and with homelessness on the rise, they’ve never been busier.
“Unfortunately, funding cuts are looming and this could have a big impact on what we can do.
“It’s why fundraising campaigns like One Week Without are so important to help ensure we continue to be there for people when they most need it.”
You could get sponsored to go without hot showers, hot dinners, or give up your mobile phone or television for a week.
Campaigns like One Week Without will help raise the vital money homeless charities need to be able to continue helping those on the streets.
Chris Thomas said: “The One Week Without challenge is an important way of bringing in vital funds that keep our services running, but it also serves another purpose.
“Porchlight tries to challenge common misconceptions about homelessness, and by depriving themselves of simple home comforts participants can begin to understand just how hard life can be when you don’t have anything.”
Canterbury City Council have activated a severe Weather Emergency Protocol as the weather forecast shows temperatures dropping below zero degrees centigrade for at least three consecutive days.
Read how you can report a rough sleeper here