Loneliness and isolation are two of the biggest problems for the frail and elderly members of our community. What can we do as a church to support such people, especially at Christmas when such feelings become more acute? The Social Action and Pastoral Care Working Parties have been talking to Age UK Camden which runs a Good Neighbour Scheme, providing volunteers to visit people who are housebound, isolated and living with disabilities.
Age UK have identified 25 frail, elderly people who are unlikely to see anyone at Christmas. All of these people live in NW3. With your help the HPC Christmas Hamper Scheme would provide each of them with a Christmas hamper from Hampstead Parish Church, to let them know that they are being thought of. Each hamper will cost £20 and will be filled with Traidcraft goodies and some useful items like a pen, notebook and a flannel. The hampers will be delivered just before Christmas by the Age UK volunteer who has built up a relationship with each elderly person.
Both HPC and Age UK are very enthusiastic about the project and believe it will make a big difference to the lives of these elderly people this Christmas. Age UK has given us a description of two of the people we would be supporting (their names have been changed):
“….. Marjory is 94 and is housebound largely due to various chronic conditions she suffers from. She tries to keep in touch with friends through phone calls and letters but visits are not possible because they too are elderly and frail. Her only relative is an elderly cousin who lives outside London. A series of falls meant that for 8 months this year she has been in and out of hospital, which has been very traumatic. But she is now back in her flat.”
“…… William is also in his 90’s. As a result of a stroke he is housebound. His only relative lives in Scotland. Apart from weekly visits from the Age UK volunteer, William’s only other regular visitors are from a carer and community nurse.”
If you would like to support this scheme you can sponsor a whole hamper (£20), or with someone else you could sponsor half a hamper (£10) or a quarter hamper (£5). It would be really great if all of these 25 elderly people could receive a gift from us.
Being Good Neighbours at Christmas � �The HPC Christmas Hamper Scheme�