A busy 2019 at Sanctus in Stoke-on-Trent (in numbers)
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.
Thank you to our Volunteers, who in 2019:
The Welcome Team who give a cheery welcome to visitors to the drop-in. Since the beginning of September we've recorded 1,787 visits (with 212 children). Altogether through 2019 we welcomed people from 57 different countries. Amazing!
The Food Distribution Team who give out fresh fruit and veg, tins and packets, nappies, toiletries and sanitary products. In the past 4 months we've given 1,171 bags of food.
The Families Room Team who run the Stay and Play and collect and give away baby equipment to families. Thank you too to the helpers behind the scenes who help with deliveries of baby equipment and clothes and to friends at Grace Church who collect and sort baby clothes into labelled sizes.
The Help Desk Team who, with volunteer interpreters, make phone calls, assist with paperwork and try to find ways through the administrative maze for our asylum seeker and refugee friends. They see between 25 and 30 people every Wednesday morning and make a huge difference to people's lives.
The English teachers who regularly teach between between 25 and 30 people each week.
All the volunteers in the Cafe on Wednesday mornings. We haven't counted the number of drinks, cakes and slices of toast they provide!
Carmel and Eileen who continue to offer crafts activities - thank you to them and their network of friends who make items for sale on behalf of Sanctus.
The Beheshtion church helpers who set up for the drop-in and stay late to clear away and clean.
And behind the scenes the volunteers who give lifts to appointments, look after our website, record statistics, collect and distribute baby equipment, furniture and white goods, our Treasurer, befrienders, everyone who makes people welcome on a Wednesday morning with a smile and a chat and - last but not least - members of the Sanctus Board - especially our outgoing Chair, Richard Priestley, and our incoming Interim Chair, Sarah Vernon.