LIFEHOUSE REMAINS A BEACON DURING THE PANDEMIC Kate Thompson
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unanimous vote to stay open at the outset of the pandemic has placed Lifehouse volunteers at the eye of the storm when it comes to looking after vulnerable people during the pandemic. They have seen the number of people they regularly feed at their food kitchen and drop-in centre in Albert Road more than double as families face the fallout from COVID-19. Manager, Mike Morell, explained: “We often see up to 200 people if you include the deliveries we make too. “Around 25 percent of the people we see are rough sleepers and another 25 percent are people living in temporary accommodation or night shelters.
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“The rest are people you might not have expected to see coming to us for help. We have elderly people and young families — some have found themselves suddenly out of work, many used to have jobs in hospitality and some have moved down from London. “Many people are living close to the edge and death, divorce or the loss of a job can make their lives so much worse — and that’s where we can help.” Thankfully the weeks before the latest lockdown enabled many people who regularly use the services at the Lifehouse to prepare for the worst of the winter temperatures. “People were able to pick up warm clothing from us just before Christmas. We had a donation of
