This week has been busy, as it always is, but several cases stood out for us. Yes, we received many requests for help because people are struggling with the increasing cost of living. However, imagine your electricity has gone off because you have no more credit on your electricity pre-payment meter. It’s not about sitting in the dark, unable to charge a phone, boil a kettle, or watch TV. It’s also about the fact that the food in the fridge and freezer is at risk of spoiling because, in these warm temperatures, food spoils quickly, and defrosts. One lady we helped, was crying on the telephone to the person that referred her to us because our help meant she could “finally eat after several days of being without food”. One man had all his belongings stolen from him, without money for food, our grant to him was “the best news he’d received in a long time”. Another very vulnerable man had been mugged and lost everything he had on him, even his shoes. He is currently in temporary accommodation and struggling so much that his mental health is sorely impacted. We don’t offer huge sums of money, we only help now with emergencies for food and or to top up energy meters, but those few pounds can make all the difference, enabling someone to eat that hasn’t eaten for a few days or to top up their electricity meter to stop their food from spoiling. Your donations to us allow us to help so many people, by offering one-off grants at a time where a person really feels their back is against the wall and they have nowhere else to turn.