Our capacity to give, and the substance of what we give, changes with the seasons of our lives. Whether you’re a teenager, a student, a retiree, a single or married professional, in between jobs, or juggling family responsibilities or a job (or both!), a carer, or [insert your own circumstances here], God’s heart for you and me is that we partner with Him in extending His kingdom on earth and bring His blessing and light to bear upon the world we live in. In Isaiah 58:6-7, God says:
Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Your gifts and sacrifice of time, prayers, service and material resources are all precious to Him. We often post about opportunities to give of your time, service and prayers, and this time I wanted to share some other simple, quick and practical ways you can help:
1) Food Banks
At Everyday Wimbledon, Southfields and Kingston we’ve often set up collections for you to bring groceries. Did you know you can give in other ways?
- Look out for donation boxes at your local supermarket, so you can slip in a few extra items in your weekly shopping to donate to the food bank;
- Donate online, set up a standing order or send a cheque to your local food bank
- Do an online shop to be delivered directly to the food bank (this one is fun!). Note that not all the food banks below mention online shop delivery so it’s best to contact them before doing this if your local food bank doesn’t list this as an option.
For more information:
Wandsworth: how to donate, urgent needs and shopping list
Croydon: how to donate, urgent needs and shopping list
Kingston: how to donate, urgent needs and shopping list
2) Oyster cards for refugees and asylum seekers
Asylum seekers and refugees lives on very small amounts of money and struggle with the cost of transport. You can buy oyster cards and put some money on them and post them to the South London Refugee Association or drop them into Londis in Morden opposite the Civic Centre. See here for more information.
3) Nappies for refugees and asylum seekers
Merton Welcomes Refugees has started a new appeal for nappies for refugee and asylum seeker families. These can be dropped off at the Morden Civic Centre on London Road in Morden, marked to the attention of Yvette Stanley.
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Do you have any other suggestions or a story to share? Please email us, we’d love to hear from you!