The People’s Kitchen in Newcastle has praised the generosity of the North East public following the success of their Feed a Friend For a Fiver campaign which brings much-needed cheer this Christmas to some of the region’s most vulnerable people.
To date, The People’s Kitchen’s Just Giving page has raised almost £80,000 in just six weeks with thousands of kind hearted people pledging donations to make sure that those in need have not only a good Christmas dinner, but also food and support throughout the coming winter months. Money and donations of food have also been hand delivered to The Kitchen astounding their volunteers with the abundance of kindness shown to the charity.
Unconditional friendship
The charity relies entirely on the generosity and goodwill of the public, local businesses, schools, and wider communities, who donate food and money. No government funding is received, and everyone at The Kitchen is an unpaid volunteer. For many people, The People’s Kitchen is not only a place to receive a hearty meal but also a sanctuary where they can receive unconditional friendship in a non-judgemental and caring environment, and benefit from the charity signposting to welfare, medical and housing services.
Maggie Pavlou, a Trustee of The People’s Kitchen said:
“Things are tough for a lot of people right now with the cost-of-living crisis and the after effects of the pandemic. The Kitchen is busier than ever before, but our Feed a Friend for a Fiver campaign has surpassed our expectations and reinforced our belief that the people of the North East are the kindest and most caring in the country.
“We’ve had businesses, churches, community organisations, schools and individuals donating and there are lots of examples of young people giving up their pocket money to help us. People have been using our Just Giving page and then sharing the link on social media which has made a huge difference as all the money we get from Just Giving goes straight to the people who need it most.”
Businesses have also rallied to the call by ensuring that The Kitchen’s unique Advent Calendar has been sponsored every day with a £200 donation. This covered the cost of providing a small, sweet treat for each Friend, giving them not only a tasty piece of confectionery but also the knowledge that someone cared enough to donate and was thinking of them.
Maggie added:
“Although we are nearing Christmas Day, our Just Giving page is still active and we are grateful for any further donations. Once again, we would like to thank everyone who has donated to us and made a difference to the lives of some of Newcastle and the surrounding area’s most vulnerable people. We can’t thank everyone enough for their support, including all of our volunteers and wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful Christmas,”
Anyone wishing to donate can do so here.
