Is there something your school or parish can do this Advent to support people experiencing homelessness?

Read below for what one school from our diocese did…

Students at St Benedict’s Catholic College in Colchester came together last year to support a fantastic local initiative by 83-year-old Josie MacIsaac, who has been tirelessly helping the town’s homeless since 2003.

Josie, who is known and recognised in the community for her compassion and dedication, runs Josie’s Kitchen, a volunteer-led service that provides hot drinks, biscuits, meals and warm clothing to those in need. Open twice a week the kitchen also offers a safe space for people experiencing homelessness where they can seek advice and support.

To honour Josie’s work, St Benedict’s invited her to speak at the school’s assemblies, where she shared her story with different year groups. Students then organised a campaign to collect donations, which included food and clothing to support  Josie’s Kitchen.

Mr Fusi, Lay Chaplain for St Benedict’s, said:

We run a similar campaign around Christmas every year for the local foodbank, but being able to support Josie felt more personal, and the students were so generous in their donations.

Caritas Brentwood would like to express their gratitude to Josie, for her hard work and commitment to supporting the local community; as well as the students at St Benedict’s for putting faith into action and serving the poorest amongst us.