Boaz Trust » Destitution

‘Deep Within’- event happening 26th May

lucy — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:05:28 +0000

Acting on Impulse is a charity that gives a voice to this social group through film and theatre. They are putting on a performance on 26th May, entitled ‘Deep Within’, and you’re invited! One of our clients, who featured in last year’s promotional video, is taking part, and we are really excited to be able to promote this worthwhile venture!

The play has been developed through ideas and workshops with the group, so without further ado, here’s a brief synopsis…

When newcomer Ryan arrives at the soup van, he has to gain the trust of the homeless community. But they soon suspect that his story is not all that it seems. As he seeks answers from the streets his quest begins to spiral out of control and his life changes forever.

A multi-media mystery play set on the streets of Manchester, with cast from the homeless and marginalised community. For more info, please visit: www.actingonimpulse.net

The performance is taking place on:

Saturday 26th May 2012, 7.30pm

The Zion Arts Theatre, 335 Stretford Road M15 5ZA

£7/ £5.00 concession

Box Office: 0161 232 6089

Click here to visit the Zion Arts Theatre page.

There will be a raffle at the end with some fabulous prizes so bring your wallet. All proceeds from tickets and prizes go to ‘Acting on Impulse’.

If you are unable to make this date, it is also showing on Friday 18th May at THE HUB community centre in Altrincham. Email actingonimpulsemail@gmail.com for more info and tickets!

Spare rooms urgently needed!

lucy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:24:46 +0000

Have you got a spare room in your house? Have you ever thought about hosting a destitute asylum seeker? We have a urgent need for new hosts, so now could be the time to give it a go!

Hannah, a long-term host for the Boaz Trust, says this about her experience: “My husband and I have been Boaz hosts for nearly three years now. It has been such an incredible experience, and each person we have hosted, has added so much to our family home. We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about different cultures and having out British values sometimes very rightly challenged! Our present Boaz guest (who has been living with us for over a year), and our previous guest have become very much a part of our family. Boaz make it so easy for us to welcome people in – and we always feel supported by their team. I thoroughly recommend being a host family to anyone and everyone.”

We’re having a Hosting Info Eve on Thursday 3rd May, from 7:30pm at our office in Ancoats, and you’d be really welcome to come along and find out more. There’s no pressure to sign up there and then, but it is a great opportunity to hear stories, ask questions and be inspired! Please RSVP if you’re planning to come- and feel free to spread the word!

Lent Endurance update

lucy — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:13:33 +0000

Did you know- 50% of our clients rely on the Red Cross for their food each week. We have now come to the end of the Lent Endurance Challenge this year and can announce with great delight that we have raised over £1150 so far! The even better news is there is still time to donate- click here to go to the Team Boaz page…

To everyone who has taken part, well done! We’d love your feedback on how you found the experience- what did you miss the most? What did you think of the parcel? How did you use 250g of salt?! Stories from participants to follow in the next few weeks.

Night shelter updates

lucy — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:33:20 +0000

This year’s winter night shelter, since November 2011, has been in very high demand, and as it begins to draw to a close (it finishes at the end of April) we would like to thank everyone who has made it happen.

The night shelter has accommodated 40 individuals since it opened on November 1st, and has been fully booked every night since Christmas. Suzannah, our night shelter coordinator, has done a fantastic job of working with our male clients, supporting them to access legal help and accommodation support as far as possible.

We are really grateful to the volunteers at each of the seven churches that have hosted week in, week out, for the last 5 months and to the British Red Cross who made it all possible financially!

We are still hoping to start a permanent night shelter sometime in the future, and ask for your prayers as we seek funding and progress with this.

Finally, for any agencies looking to refer in, please note we are no longer taking referrals for the night shelter- this ended as of 31st March. We are taking referrals for our standard accommodation services but please note we have a long waiting list.

If you’d like to join our hosting scheme, we would love to hear from you! Please contact the office on 0161 2021056 or email hosting@boaztrust.org.uk. Thank you!

The Team Boaz Lent Challenge has begun!

lucy — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:51:00 +0000

Yes, it’s finally arrived, the week of the Team Boaz (office staff/volunteers) Lent Endurance Challenge. It’s not a week anyone has been looking forward to (as the Boaz team are particularly big fans of chocolate and anything particularly tasty… who isn’t?!) but it is a week that we’re hoping will raise a lot of money for our work.

What is the Lent Endurance Challenge? It’s quite simple- to live for a week on a Red Cross food parcel that, for many of our clients and other destitute asylum seekers across the UK, is their only source of food, to raise awareness about destitution and to raise money for our work!

The contents of the food parcel are (roughly):

1 orange
1 apple
1 banana
1 pear
1 green pepper
2 onions
1 tin of baked beans
1 tin of spaghetti in tomato sauce
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tin of vegetable soup
1 tin of tomato soup
1 tin garden peas OR kidney beans
1 tin of sweetcorn
1 small tin of tuna
1 small tin of sardines
Peanuts (small bag)
Biscuits (1 pack)
Loaf of bread
250g pasta
250g long grain white rice
250g Semolina
250g sugar
250g salt
250ml vegetable oil
12 teabags
1 carton of apple OR orange juice (1 litre)
1 carton of UHT longlife milk (1 litre)

Thanks to all those who have donated so far- we’ve raised £175 which is fantastic. However we’d love to raise even more, so please do consider supporting us with a donation today- thank you!

Team Boaz do the Lent Endurance Challenge

lucy — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:34:00 +0000

The Boaz office team of staff and volunteers are doing the Lent Endurance Challenge and we want your support! We’re going to be living on a Red Cross food parcel for a week from 25th-31st March, and it will be a real test for all of us.

We want to stand with those who face this situation every week, and it will most definitely take us out of our comfort zones. Check out what is in a Red Cross food parcel here:

contents of a food parcel

And now for the plea… we want to raise £1000 from this week- it would be an incredible end to an amazing year of fundraising and we’d love you to be part of it! Click on the link below to go straight to our fundraising page and donate today- thank you!

http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/teamboaz

What is in a Red Cross Food Parcel?

lucy — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:46:16 +0000

Destitute asylum seekers are entitled to receive Red Cross food parcels every week, for the first year that they become destitute. This is something that many Boaz clients receive every week. For many it is not all they have to survive- for instance, if they have friends with food they often share, and Boaz and many other organisations offer free food as well to supplement the total. But for those trying to complete the Lent Endurance Challenge, it really is a shock to the system!

Each week, participants are entitled to…

1 orange/apple

1 banana

2 carrots

2 onions

2 potatoes

1 tin of baked beans

1 tin of tomatoes

1 tin of garden peas OR kidney beans

1 small tin of tuna OR 1x small tin of sardines

1 loaf of white OR brown bread

250g pasta twists OR spaghetti

250g long grain white rice

200g sugar

250g salt

250ml vegetable oil

20 teabags

1 carton of apple OR orange juice (1 litre)

1 carton of UHT longlife milk (1 litre)

Estimated total (supermarket cheapest brands only allowed -£10

If you are up for the challenge please visit the Get Sponsored Page for more info, and to set up a fundraising page!

Sleepout 2012

lucy — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:35:39 +0000

STAR (Student Action for Refugees) are a national network within the coalition of ‘Still Human, Still Here’ which we at Boaz are proud to be part of. Every year they organise sleepouts at universities across the UK, to raise awareness about the plight of asylum seekers- particularly those facing destitution.

Last year Manchester hosted the largest sleepout in the country and it was great to be part of it. We’d love to see lots of Boaz reps there again- could you join in, and sleep out for one night to raise awareness about this huge issue?!

Visit our ‘Get Sponsored‘ page for full details and a sponsorship form (as you can raise cash for Boaz whilst you do it as well!). The most important thing is that you turn up- at the steps of the Manchester University Student Union on Oxford Road from 7:30pm on Thursday 23rd Feb. You’ll be sleeping out until the following morning- let’s hope it’s not too chilly.

Let us know if you’ve got any questions or if you want to get involved!

Are you up for the challenge?

lucy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:05:15 +0000

At Boaz we’re preparing for the Lent Endurance Challenge, an annual event where individuals and families across the UK live for a week on a Red Cross food parcel. It’s a big challenge for lots of us- but in reality it’s what thousands of asylum seekers do every week.

Watch this space for more details- or contact the office (01612021056) if you want to register for a Lent Endurance Pack!

Breaking barriers- financial independence

lucy — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:31:58 +0000

This week is Poverty and Homelessness Action Week and we’re joining with loads of organisations around the country to pray and take action for those facing social and economic barriers in our nation. Here at Boaz we’re focusing on destitute asylum seekers and refugees, who as you may well know, experience barriers to accessing the things many of us take for granted each day.

Today we focus on… financial independence

Pray for training/employment opportunities for those who have got ‘leave to remain’ and are waiting for work. Please pray for funding in the coming year so we can develop this effectively!

Take action by supporting the ‘Right to Work’ scheme, led by Still Human Still Here, and by supporting the ‘Stop the Azure card’ campaign by clicking here.