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HARP’s ‘Drop In’ Day Centre based in Valkyrie Road
- Westcliff has
handled up to 20,000 visits in any given twelve month period.
HARP also operates a Night Shelter in York Road - Southend and 2
Medium Stay Hostels / Residences located in Ceylon Road & Genesta
Road - Westcliff to
assist the even more serious cases of those clients who need
specialist help. As a result of these
visits HARP has been able to turn
around the lives of more than 2,000 people in a year to help
and assist them into a more comfortable existence, with dignity. The
Valkyrie Road Day Centre provides up to 50 hot lunchtime meals to
hungry people every day, some who may not have eaten anything at all
for several days. HARP saves lives!
There are
facilities at the Day Centre for Homeless people to shower and
obtain fresh clean clothing. There are also supplies of toiletries
available. Furthermore, there are a few washing machines and dryers
with washing powder supplied for those who wish to use them. These
facilities are in constant use and are only possible with grateful
thanks to donations.
An
alarming proportion of HARP’s clients are young people in the 16 –
25 year age group.
The majority of people of all ages become Homeless due to family
breakdown on many levels, for example, through separation and
divorce, financial difficulties, domestic violence, bullying and
abuse. People who suffer from mental illness and those suffering
breakdowns are also very likely to find themselves Homeless, as they
can become extremely vulnerable and unable to care for themselves in
day to day situations.
Depression is
also very high on the list as a root cause of people from all
backgrounds and all walks of life becoming Homeless to then find
they have nowhere to turn to, or run to, other than an organisation
such as HARP who have provided the only 24hr service to the Homeless
in Essex and is the very last resort for many thousands of people in
South Essex.
So how many
organisations are there like HARP? Well, in the entire County of
Essex there are just three such services with only 53 night service
accommodation beds available. HARP supply 20, the Chelmsford service
provides 13 and 50 miles away in Colchester they provide 20 beds and
that is it! Southend, allegedly, has the fifth largest Homelessness
problem in the entire UK.
In
the past twelve months HARP’s ‘Drop In’ Day Centre provided 6,700
meals and 1,700 food parcels to desperate and hungry Homeless
people.
This particular Centre relies heavily upon the kindness and
generosity of our local Churches and Schools (especially at Harvest
Festival times) as well as Trusts, Foundations, Grantmakers, local
businesses and individuals.
Homelessness is
not a ‘cute charity’ but it has a devastating effect on all age
groups. This social problem cannot be ignored and is, in fact, on
the increase. Please help us if you can!
HARP operates a strict NO DRUGS
policy.
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