Eastbourne homeless charity users up by 50 per cent during pandemic

An Eastbourne charity has seen a 50 per cent increase in people using their help centre at the start of this month (April) during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Matthew 25 MissionThe Matthew 25 Mission
The Matthew 25 Mission

The Matthew 25 Mission in Seaside provides breakfast and lunch everyday to people in need, and also works with other organisations to prepare evening meals on Thursdays and Fridays.

A Matthew 25 spokesperson said, “It’s been an increasingly busy time at The Mission this week. We are serving between 150-200 meals each day.

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“We couldn’t do this without our army of volunteers and staff, those working on site and those working from home. We’ve seen a 50 per cent increase in people using the service in the past 2 weeks, and we’re taking every possible step to keep our volunteers and clients safe.”

They said that, due to loss of jobs and the effects of coronavirus on the economy, there has been a 500 per cent increase in support for families at the centre. Matthew 25 also thanked local restaurants and hotels for donating surplus supplies in a time of need after most establishments in the town have had to close down due to government guidelines.

The spokesperson said, “We’ve had some amazing donations from the supermarkets who regularly donate to us, which are Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda – thank you so much.

“Following the closure of many restaurants and hotels in the town, the generosity of the staff has been overwhelming with many giving us their surplus produce – we’ve had to obtain large freezers to keep all the food.

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“Shout outs to Pomodoro e Mozzarella, Love All Tennis Café, The East Beach Hotel, You Raise Me Up café and Urban Ground. These amazing businesses have allowed us to provide hearty, healthy and great quality meals for people.”

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