Blog. Cost of Living Emergency Appeal
September 27, 2022 | Author: Mark Lewis
A message from our CEO.
Today, Hospitality Action launched its first emergency fundraising appeal since the summer of 2020. It’s pasted below.
Launching such a campaign is never an easy decision. The financial impact of the current cost of living crisis is being felt by every single individual and business in the sector, making it harder than ever to spare a few pounds to help people in need no matter how compelled one may feel to contribute.
But that same crisis is driving parents to choose between eating and heat, between food and fuel.
As in 2020, you have our word that we will continue to work tirelessly to help as many hospitality people as we possibly can.
Every penny you entrust to us counts, now more than ever.
Mark.
Dear Supporter,
We are facing a national crisis that looks likely to place millions of households into extreme food and fuel poverty this coming winter, and we need you help. In the last few weeks we have experienced a 30% increase in applications for financial support. And more than 50% of our applicants are presenting with household arrears such as rent or utilities placing many at risk of homelessness.
We’ve spoken to pensioners who’ve already turned the gas off through fear of unsustainable bills; mums and dads losing all hope, as they become engulfed by bill after bill; and proprietors contemplating taking their own lives because the responsibility they feel towards their staff is too much to bear.
It’s here, it’s happening now and it’s already clear that the mental health impact of this crisis will last well beyond the cold months ahead. In fact, 35% of our applicants are now directly referencing mental health issues in their application, often reporting that this is exacerbated by financial problems.
Now, just as in 2020, our team at HA is 100% committed to helping the industry, we won’t be able to assist everybody, but we’ll do our best. We are already increasing our grant payments where our funds allow to assist those in the most extreme poverty.
We are working flat out to update our Advice Pages to provide the latest information to support those dealing with dwindling finances and increasing anxiety levels, and our free 24/7 helplines remain open (0808 802 2111 for EAP subscribers & 0808 802 0282 for everybody else).
We know that everybody will be impacted in some way by this crisis, whether that’s in terms of reduced business, increased household expenses or both.
Any gift, no matter how small would be gratefully received and could make a huge difference to our beneficiaries at this difficult time. Our grants give a family some respite, they put food on the table and some credit on the electricity meter for a household in crisis.
Donate now.
You can support us as a business too, by adding Invisible Chips to your menu, taking part in Walk for Wellbeing, or by nominating us as your charity of the year.
If you don’t have an Employee Assistance Programme then now is the perfect time to consider one, ours is fantastic value and offers wrap-around care to your employees at a particularly difficult time. Find out more here.
As we face uncertain times please give what you can today
Kind Regards
Mark.