Last year the Canaan Trust distributed over 3,000 food parcels to individuals and families in need who were struggling with the cost of living crisis (a 20% increase compared to the year prior). This year, we're distributing even more, but the cost of food, combined with reduced donations has meant that we're having to spend an additional £1,100 per month to keep up with demand.
Could you please help us by making a financial donation? Donations will be spent on food, essential household items and the foodbank warehouse rent.
On a daily basis we are having people come to us in crisis situations, plus working parents and individuals come to us who are having to make impossible decisions between buying food or paying rent, with the worry of not knowing how they'll keep their home warm this winter.
Our foodbank, means 
that people can put what little money they have towards paying their bills, ensuring they can keep a roof over their head and put food on the table.
The Trust's experienced and compassionate Support Workers will also spend time with each person, listening to their personal circumstances and help them to budget, work out their expenditure, maximise their income, provide ideas on how to shop and cook on a budget.
The Trust doesn't just provide a food parcel - it works to get to the root cause of the issue.
ABOUT OUR ORGANISATION AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
The Canaan Trust is a registered charity (no. 1105657) based in Derbyshire that has been listening, supporting and caring for the homeless and vulnerable since 1995. The Trust primarily operates across the boroughs of Erewash (Derbyshire) and Broxtowe (Nottinghamshire), serving communities that have pockets of significant deprivation that rank in the top 10% most deprived nationally (IMD 2019). During the winter months the Trust also works in partnership with organisations across Derbyshire and Derby City to prevent winter deaths caused by rough sleeping.
Operating 24-7, 365 the Trust provides holistic person centred support for any individual, male or female, or family who may be homeless, in danger of becoming homeless, or in need. The Trust accommodates 12 male homeless, aged 16 to 70+ at any given time in two houses and is currently fundraising to renovate a recently acquired property to house 9 female homeless to meet existing and growing demand.
For the Trust, simply providing a ‘bed for the night’ fails to address the core causes/effects of homelessness and as such the support that the Trust provides is holistic, recognising that each unique individual’s journey into homelessness is complex comprising both physical and emotional issues. The support and care offered by the Trust seeks to enable each individual or family address their housing needs, their physical health, their mental health and emotional issues, their financial barriers (obtain a bank account/benefits/debts), establish and maintain contact with statutory services. The Trust objective is to empower and enable each individual or family to achieve the best they can achieve by supporting them to successfully move on to independent living.
The Trust never gives up on individuals, making every effort to meet needs regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion or belief, ensuring that we can meet the diverse needs of our client group. Each year we support hundreds of people in crisis and recognise that homelessness can affect anybody, at any stage of their life, from any background and from any occupation.
THE NEED FOR OUR WORK
Last year we succeeded in:
• Achieving a 98% success rate of keeping people sustainably housed, stopping the ‘revolving door effect’ of repeat homelessness.
• Supporting 20 male homeless with long term supported accommodation and ongoing ‘Gold Standard’ quality support including employment coaching, life skills training and literacy and numeracy education for residents.
• Supporting 40 homeless individuals with BACP registered counselling in both group and 1:1 sessions.
Our community services, to help people and families in crisis included:
• Distributing 3,049 food parcels to individuals and families in need who were struggling with the cost of living crisis (a 20% increase compared to the year prior).
• Enabling 24/7 365 access to emergency food.
• Providing 24/7 365 emergency support to adults and families in need in the community plus the homeless.
• Supporting 1846 adults in the community (a 33% increase compared to the previous year) with issues concerning benefits, rent arrears, personal debt, energy debt, threat of or actual eviction which has led to homelessness.
The Trust is supported by a team of volunteers who are all compassionate and enthusiastic individuals with roles that span supermarket bucket collections, supporting stands at public events, packing food parcels, sorting donations of food in our foodbank, supporting our education programme, buddying and befriending. Annually we run a sleep out where over 50 members of the local community helps raise awareness of homelessness and to show their support for the Trust whilst raising much needed funds.
THANK YOU! YOUR SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED