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Caring in Bristol

Combating Homelessness in England

By on Jul 20, 2023 in Giving

Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2022, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide.

Let’s travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Bristol, England and introduce you to the Yardi-supported nonprofit, Caring in Bristol, founded in 1987. This organization finds gaps in Bristol’s provision for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, working in creative and imaginative ways to create innovative projects to fill. Caring in Bristol takes its services where needed, working in community venues where people feel most comfortable.

“Whether this is one of our pop-up food projects, housing-themed workshops, or a housing advice session, we can build relationships with people and identify and find effective ways to support them when their risk of homelessness increases,” said Luke Mitchell, corporate and community partnerships coordinator for Caring in Bristol.

Caring in Bristol also distributes thousands of handbooks across the city, which help individuals, organizations and professionals instantly connect with support and information about homelessness, rough sleeping, debt and housing issues.

Due to the pressure of cost-of-living issues, homelessness continues to build. Caring in Bristol has several projects and programs to combat homelessness.  

  • Bristol Goods diverts food that would otherwise go to waste but constantly needs to source new supplies, which is challenging.
  • Early Doors works with people experiencing housing issues by providing information and advice that stops homelessness and reduces the costs to individual well-being and the city.
  • Project Z is a youth program that assists and supports young people through and beyond periods of homelessness, intending to empower them to live out their fullest potential.

“Project Z is Bristol’s only emergency youth shelter for those forced out onto the street, helping them move on to a better future,” shared Mitchell. He continued: “Our research shows mainstream shelter provisions are unsuitable for young people, so ours will fill a desperately needed gap in the city.”

  • Caring at Christmas provides a week of festive goods, entertainment and support for people experiencing street homelessness, temporary or precarious accommodation. It remains the largest Christmas project of its kind in the Southwest region of England, with support from over 450 volunteers and numerous businesses.

Bristol’s marginalized communities and neighborhoods are feeling mounting pressure from inflationary pressures and cuts to services and resources. The scarcity of affordable and appropriate housing continues to worsen.

“Our projects and programs find and deliver solutions that prevent homelessness and help people recover,” said Mitchell.

Funding from Yardi will help power this work, placing the expertise of specialist workers and volunteers where they are desperately needed. Funds have also been put towards a new youth shelter. The shelter has been designed as a psychologically informed environment to help those staying there feel safe and secure after a homelessness emergency. There is so much to do to make this happen, and every bit of support will be directed to activities that will launch and maintain a vital resource in Bristol.

Michell says, “The support received from Yardi is transformative for a local charity like Caring in Bristol and has a remarkable impact. The kindness and generosity of our supporters like Yardi who stand beside us in their support, enabling us to bring lasting change in solving Bristol’s homelessness crisis.”

Bristol Goods

One of the successful projects for Caring in Bristol has been Bristol Goods which provides pop-up shops to neighborhoods or groups at risk of homelessness. Rising food costs, energy and living prices have increased the pressure that pushes many toward homelessness. Bristol Goods provides members access to low-cost, good-quality foods in settings that offer housing advice and support with help from other agencies to provide energy-saving advice. The demand for the successful format of this service is growing, with recent additions including a “youth edition” of the service and a session in the city center.

Volunteer Opportunities

The impact of Caring in Bristol’s volunteers over the past three decades has been immense. Their time, skills, and expertise make a real difference across Bristol through the projects, services and fundraising they have supported.

Caring at Christmas, Bristol Goods, and fundraising activities are some areas volunteers can get involved with and would make a tremendous contribution.

“Their presence at events, whether that’s an event like Bristol Pride or the Belly Laughs comedy shows, raises our profile and helps people in Bristol better understand the need for Bristol to become a city that solves homelessness,” said Mitchell.

Learn more about becoming and registering to volunteer with Caring in Bristol.  

Find future non-profit profiles at https://www.yardi.com/blog/category/giving.