The People’s Kitchen Launches Christmas Campaign to Spread Joy and Support Amidst Rising Costs
The People’s Kitchen, a Newcastle based charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable people in need, is gearing up for the festive season with a series of heart-warming initiatives. Given the current challenges of the high cost of living and an unprecedented demand for their services, the charity is reaching out to the public for their support this festive season.
Maggie Pavlou, Trustee of The People’s Kitchen, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the North East public’s ongoing support, stating, “A big thank you for all the help you already provide us with; we are always grateful and very appreciative. This year more than any other, demand for our services has been unprecedented, we are now serving an average of 250 meals each evening, every day of the year. Like most people, we have also experienced an increase in the cost of buying and providing the food, in addition to the increased number of people looking to us for help.
“All of our staff are unpaid volunteers, and we receive no government grants. Every penny we get is used for the benefit of our Friends. We have just launched our annual “Feed a Friend For A Fiver” Campaign, where we try and raise enough money to provide all the food we need over the Christmas period for our Friends, including a lovely Christmas Dinner on the big day itself. This campaign also helps us to cover the cost of the food we provide throughout the year.
“We are running our campaign entirely inhouse, which means that there are no commissions to be paid so you can be sure that that every penny you donate is going to directly to help others.”
The People’s Kitchen’s key activities leading up to Christmas include a Christmas street party and a unique advent calendar. Throughout December, a ‘live’ advent calendar, unveils a daily ‘sweet treat’ for each Friend as they leave the Kitchen after their dinner. Sponsoring a day on the Advent Calendar costs £250, and sponsors receive visibility with their company logo and a ‘Thank You’ message across all The Kitchen’s social media channels on their sponsored day.
A Secret Santa Service will ensure every child or grandchild of a People’s Kitchen friend will receive a Christmas gift bag with a toy or game, a book, and a selection box. Sponsoring a child’s Christmas Gift costs £25. The Kitchen are also encouraging people to make a donation instead of sending Christmas cards.
“Once again, we are very grateful for the help we get from the public, businesses, schools, clubs and faith organisations and with their help once again, we can put a big smile on our Friend’s faces as they head back out into the cold wintery night,” added Maggie.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Maggie Pavlou at maggie.pavlou@peopleskitchen.co.uk.
Direct donations can be made through the Just Giving Campaign link: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/peopleskitchen-faffaf2023.
