How Holy Family Church Helps Patchway's Homeless Neighbors

You might not realize it, but right here in Patchway, neighbors are struggling to find shelter. At Holy Family Church, we see it every week—people sleeping rough near the railway, families needing emergency help, and folks just trying to get through the day. We don't have the biggest budget, but we’ve got something better: a community that shows up. No fancy stats or national headlines—just real people helping real people, right where we live.

Our work starts simple. Last month, volunteers packed 120 care packages with socks, food, and hygiene kits for people staying on the streets. We don’t send them to a shelter across town—we hand them out right here in Patchway. Why? Because walking past someone sleeping in a doorway and pretending not to see them isn’t how we roll. We ask, 'What do you need right now?'

What We Actually Do

We partner with Patchway Housing Aid for emergency shelter referrals, but we also do the small things that matter most. Like when Sarah, a single mom, showed up with her kids after losing her job. We didn’t just give her a meal—we connected her with local job training and helped her find affordable housing. That’s the difference between charity and community. It’s not about handing out a voucher; it’s about walking alongside someone until they’re steady on their feet again.

How You Can Help Right Now

You don’t need a big donation or a special skill. Just show up. We need people to help sort donations on Tuesday nights, or to sit with someone over a cup of tea. Last week, a teenager named Tom started volunteering after school. He said, 'I didn’t know people here were struggling so close to home.' Now he’s helping pack care packages and talking to folks about job opportunities. We’ve learned that homelessness isn’t a national problem—it’s a local one. It’s Mrs. Davies down the road who can’t afford her rent, or the young man sleeping under the bridge by the canal. When we treat it like that, it stops being 'someone else’s issue' and becomes 'our problem to solve.' You don’t have to be a saint to help. You just have to care enough to ask, 'What can I do today?' Come see for yourself. We’re always looking for volunteers at our community kitchen on Fridays. No experience needed—just a willingness to help. And if you’re wondering if it makes a difference? Last month, two people we helped found housing. That’s not a statistic. That’s real. That’s Patchway.

Gareth Sheffield

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