Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me (Matthew 25: 40)
This year, St Benet’s is running a Christmas appeal in aid of the Whitechapel Mission (https://whitechapel.org.uk/).
Since 1876, the Whitechapel Mission has been serving people caught in the cycles of poverty, hopelessness and dependencies of many kinds, and to see their lives transformed to hope, joy and lasting productivity. The Whitechapel Mission is open every day of the year, including Christmas Day. It offers a day centre, meals, showers, advice and clothing for people who are rough sleeping.
The Whitechapel Mission is currently particularly keen to receive the following items:
Clothing* and linens
- Woollen hats, scarves, gloves and socks
- Warm coats, jackets and jumpers
- Jeans (28″ – 36″)
- T shirts
- Pants/boxers
- Men’s shoes, esp. trainers
- Small rucksacks
- Sleeping bags
- Hand and bath towels
- Tinned fruit and soup (esp. chopped tomatoes)
- Cereals, especially Weetabix, Shredded Wheat and porridge
- Coffee
- Peanut butter, chocolate spread, Nutella, honey, jam
- Biscuits, sugar and hot chocolate
- Noodles
- Toothbrushes
- Shower gel
- Body and hand cream
- Shaving foam and razors
- Shampoo
- Roll-on deodorant
*Please note: the Whitechapel Mission doesn’t have charity shops. Everything will be donated directly to people in need.
If you are able to donate any of these items, please bring them to a mass or to the vicarage before 20 December, and we will arrange for them to reach the Whitechapel Mission.
The Whitechapel Mission does crucial work, and we hope that it will be possible to get together a good collection of items to enable them to continue that work this Christmas.