Find out why a gift of £29.80 to Crisis at Christmas could make a difference to someone facing homelessness.
£29.80 is our suggested donation amount which could help someone experiencing homelessness over the Christmas period – whether that’s in our day centres, hotels, or in our year-round services.
This includes longer term support to help leave homelessness behind for good.
This is based on the number of people we expect to support and includes set up, food, clothing and accommodation, travel and insurance. We review this figure every year.
Your gift of £29.80 could help provide...
Con* came to Crisis as a guest during Crisis at Christmas in 2015. Nine years later, he’s now a homeowner and has managed a service supporting people experiencing homelessness and prison leavers.
He shares his story:
"I worked in the automotive industry for 18 years in project management. I had a very good salary – but I struggled with substance abuse. My relationship with my long-term partner broke down and I lost my job. I stayed with a friend but in 2015 I was forced into homelessness.
"I was sleeping rough on the streets in London. The most frightening thing was that I started to get used to being homeless. When I started rough sleeping, I registered as homeless with my council, but I couldn’t prove that I’d been in the borough long enough to get any support because I'd been living with a friend.
From January 2016, after being a Crisis at Christmas guest, Con received ongoing support from Crisis. His coaches helped him move into supported accommodation and later into a private rented room and supported him with CV and motivation workshops. As his confidence and independence grew, he needed less regular check-ins.
"When you think how far I’ve come since December 2015 – I’m now a homeowner and have worked as a manager housing homeless people and prison leavers – it’s quite a journey, isn’t it?”
*Con's story reflects a real member's experience, with his name and photo changed to protect his identity.
