Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouraging messages, offers of donations even, in response to my email last week.  

Since then the situation for all of us has changed dramatically.  “Lock-down” protects us from the spread of COVID-19 but makes life much harder for our tenants: 

• In shared houses tensions run high – our young male refugees are struggling with no access to their usual exercise and team football   
• vulnerable families are at risk of breakdown from spending so much time at home together 

• other services that our tenants rely on are being withdrawn because of COVID-19.  The soup kitchen in Peterborough has closed.  Foodbank is reduced to one outlet for the whole city.   
• we do not know the full effect on other services yet, drug teams for example, and of course access to benefits, a struggle for our tenants even at the best of times.   

It is all the more vital that our service is maintained with the inevitable loss of others.  For many of our tenants, Hope into Action is all they have. 

I want to reassure you that we are continuing to work flat out to maintain 24/7 contact with all our homes. 

It is your support and encouragement that have put us in this strong position.  YOU are enabling us to put practical steps in place and continue to love every one of our 210 tenants.  Already you have helped us and our partner churches to: 

1. Co-ordinate volunteers to deliver food and emergency parcels 

1. Share donated phones and laptops so tenants can stay in touch with us and their mentors  

1. Be with tenants remotely but still listen to their fears 

1. Offer extra support to tenants in high risk categories and that is many of them  

1. Check tenants are still accessing and taking their medications and step up logistical help  

1. Ensure tenants whose first language is not English understand the situation 

1. Move tenants on to more permanent homes and move new tenants in, observing social distancing and advising tenants to self-isolate once in.  We don’t want our homes empty when there is so much need. 

Thank you.  We could not have done this without you.  

Listening to many of you, you want to help us do more.   

Our immediate challenge is that, even though we are all at risk from coronavirus, our tenants are the most vulnerable.  They start from a point of huge health inequality. Mental health and long-term physical conditions. Trauma. Addiction. 

Our key volunteers too are at risk.  We cannot deliver the same care and love without our wonderful church volunteers.  And many of them are in the high-risk groups: those who are over 70, and those with underlying medical conditions.  

Our own fundraising and finances are already taking a hit. We took a big hit postponing Conference. And with churches closed and Spring Harvest and New Wine cancelled our opportunities are slashed.    

We will not allow any of our tenants to be a casualty of this crisis.   

This is not about a virus, this is about people urgently needing help.  Men, women and children, families are struggling and more will be homeless as a result of this crisis.  Together we have the means and freedom to help. 

What can you do? 

Take Action to support our work.  We need to be as strong as possible at this critical moment.  Please pray for us and if you can, donate here now.   

I will donate   

Each prayer and every penny will count. 

Thank you. 

God bless you and your loved ones or whatever you would say Ed?! 

Ed Walker 

Executive Director, Hope into Action