Torbay homeless charity desperate for volunteers

In the heart of Torbay, local charity New Footings Ministries is working to make a significant impact on the lives of those experiencing homelessness. Being about halfway through the 11 weeks of winter that they’re open, they’re appealing to the community for help.

Founded two years ago, the charity operates a night shelter in Paignton that provides not just a roof over the heads of those experiencing homelessness, but also a chance at rebuilding their lives.

“There are three stages to homelessness,” said charity Chairman Gary Mitchell.

“The first is losing your job, the second is losing your home because you’ve got a mortgage to pay or can’t afford the rent, the next step is being out on the street.

“There is no catch-all for this and there’s a really wide range of reasons as to why people end up homeless.”

New Footings Ministries does its bit. Hosting up to 20 people each night throughout the winter months is already a challenge, but Gary and the team of coordinators and volunteers manage to get by.

However, they’re in desperate need of more help. Currently, New Footings Ministries is looking for volunteers to work evenings and mornings. The mornings run from around 7:30 to 9-9:30. The evenings start at 17:45 to 22:00.

Gary said: “The things we’re looking for is for people to come in, to cook, to do washing up, to do laundry, sorting out bedding. But also just to sit and chat with them, people on the streets are not as frightening as people think they are.

“They’ve got some fantastic stories to tell and a lot to contribute.”

In the future, Gary hopes to take the mission even further.

He said: “Many of us have been working in shelters for many years, but we’ve been running this as a sole enterprise for two years. Now we’ve registered as a charity, this is the first year that we’re really on our feet. We've got a trustee team and a management team, and we're really starting to make headway.

“Our goal is to get our dedicated building which we run all year, providing food, shelter, support, development and bring in all the services under one roof.”

He added: “Dream big, go somewhere.”

But for now, more volunteers are needed to make it through the winter.

No volunteer is cut from the same cloth, and while New Footings Ministries is a Christian charity, volunteers can and do come from a huge range of backgrounds.

Gary said: “Lots of volunteers come through our doors who aren’t religious at all. Goodness is not exclusively Christian. When you give you get. It makes you feel good about yourself, you’re giving away some of your valuable time but what gets returned is so much more. Let’s just say it’s a good return on your investment.”

To get involved with New Footings Ministries, or simply find out more, click here or email: info@newfootings.org.