Can £3 a week make a difference to you?
They can make a difference to the people we help.
By just sparing the cost of one coffee a week, you can help someone who's is going through really rough times.
Contrary to popular belief, most homeless people don't choose homelessness. They often become homeless after exhausting all their options, and as a result they end up losing their housing. Some groups are particularly vulnerable: young people leaving care, people living on benefits or low incomes, ex-military personnel, victims of domestic violence, asylum seekers, etc.
With the pandemic, and rising costs of living, the situation has worsen.
For example, worryingly we have recently seen an increase of 40% in women using our Sit Up service. Women who find themselves sleeping rough, who are homeless or in insecure accommodation, are acutely vulnerable.
While Homeless Oxfordshire receives funding and support from local councils, it only partially covers our costs to provide assistance for our clients in Oxfordshire. That's why we need your help.
The women we accommodate and support have complex needs including child welfare, family and relationship breakdown, offending behaviour, historic abuse, bereavement, substance misuse, sexual exploitation, domestic violence, childhood trauma and/or self-harm and interrelating problems that contribute to women’s homelessness and presents barriers to recovery.
Our Solution
Homeless Oxfordshire offers women-only spaces that are safe, supportive communal living experiences with a trauma-informed approach, based on empathy, consistency, boundaries and an acknowledgement of the reality of each individual’s life. We support women like Lucy focusing on their strengths which helps them feel empowered and able to make their own choices for recovery.
Read about Lucy and how your donations have helped her and are still helping others recover from homelessness
I always knew I had a problem. From age 18, I always knew, but I didn't think that I'd ever end up sleeping in a doorway. I didn't really want to live anymore at all.
I kind of just gave up on myself. I ended up sleeping behind the Magistrates court. I just didn't really feel anything. I'd kind of just shut myself off completely from everyone and everything and I'd just given up. I just didn't care. I had a rash on my face from being outside.
When I came to Homeless Oxfordshire I was appointed a key worker, who at the time was Dee, and she was absolutely fantastic. And she just made me feel like a person again. I suppose when you've just lost all hope, it's so important just to have someone just to listen.
There's just such support here.
Let's work together to support people out of homelessness for good.
With government funding at its lowest, our donors help us to make a difference in homeless people’s lives every day. Every single penny helps to feed, clothe, educate and house Oxfordshire’s homeless. A little help goes a long way, as even the cost of a coffee, can change and make an impact on people’s lives.
