Streetcare services in Tyne and Wear

Residents of Sunderland can use the Streetcare Drop in Centre in order to get assistance. The charity relies on volunteers and generous members of the community to help the vulnerable. While at the centre, people can be provided with snacks or a low cost meal while they explore a number of services that can assist them.

There are a couple main focuses of the organisation, and they include providing food as well as providing advice to the low income on everything from housing to benefits. Streetcare is often considered one of the places that families from Tyne and Wear can turn to if they are in a desperate situation.

People facing a crisis can get emergency help in the form of a free food parcel to keep their family fed. This will normally have enough items to last for a few days. Or if it is a Saturday, a low cost meal is served every other week as noted below.

Any food passed out relies on the generosity of people and organisations in Sunderland. There are volunteers who also contribute to feeding the hungry. All of these people work together to collect non-perishable groceries such as tinned items.

Streetcare provides Christmas assistance too from the Day Centre at St. Gabriel’s Church. They will pass out additional parcels of groceries as well as serve a free Christmas dinner on the Saturday before the holiday. Some families on a low income or children may be given presents or a few small treats. This help at Christmas depends on volunteers and even donations from others, such as local schools.

Information is given from the Day Centre. The church will serve people that drop in and give them a snack such as a hot drink or biscuits. While at the centre can can get free advice on different schemes that can help them get back on track, and volunteers can even help with completing the forms to them. All of these services are free as well.

A meal on Saturday is served. Churches partner with Streetcare to serve a three-course meal, depending on volunteers and donations. This will normally be served a couple times per month to the homeless or low income in Sunderland. There may be a low cost involved in this programme.

The homeless can turn to Streetcare Day Centre too. They of course can take part in the food programmes above, but also staff give them advice to get them off the streets. This service is available to anyone who is struggling with their housing, even if they are currently in temporary accommodations such as hostels or shelters in Tyne and Wear.

Advice and signposting is given to them. The aim is to place the homeless person into some form of accommodation. Then after that, the client can access a number of social support systems for gaining stability in a new home.

Streetcare day centre is based at St Gabriels Church on Chester Road in Sunderland. Anyone can drop in at the location, and the phone number is 0785 410 9229.