Are you a confident, sensible driver? Can you help us once a month at our weekend events (or more!)? We’re looking for drivers to help drive Kitty (our mobile kitchen) to and from our weekend venues.
If you are able to help us out, please contact us through the website or message us on Facebook. We’d love to hear from you 🙂
For only £5pm, you can give a homeless person a breakfast each weekend.
Click here to sign up today.
Trialed on Sunday 9th, an early morning breakfast was hosted by Crossover for the rough sleepers at Circus Street. This proved so successful that Crossover decided to continue trialling this over the coming months and see how it develops.
Currently there is a seven-church night shelter, which hosts around 15 rough sleepers which provides them breakfast. When this ceases at the end of Winter (March) there will be no replacement for Sunday breakfasts for those guests. Crossover will be the only food run on a Sunday daytime. Not having food runs over the weekends can prove dangerous, particularly for substance users, a Sunday morning Breakfast may just save a life!
For further information on this, or any other Crossover project – please do contact us on the contact page or donate to help fund the work we do. Thank-you.
Crossover have now been featured in various media forms across the city (and beyond!) as an example of people reaching out to the needy in our city of Brighton. The latest article, by Sandra Christofi on her local website which discusses the issues of homelessness in Brighton and Hove. The website, “Homeless – Brighton’s Invisible Community” now features a dedicated article surrounding Crossover and the 3:16 team.
Sandra Christofi writes:
People attending the event [Saturday afternoon street feeding] were relaxed and openly expressed their gratitude for the team putting up this weekly service. Diane, who has been attending events organised by St Peter’s Church and Mr Bolton’s team for years, said this was a great social experience that gave her the chance not only to meet new people, but also to get advice and support.
Diane said: “I think they are marvellous, they really are. They keep us going. A lot of people are going through hard times at the moment, and if you’ve got a problem, you can come to them, which is great help when you are on your own. I can’t say enough for them.”
Similarly, recently made homeless Simone said she wouldn’t know where she would be now had it not been for Mr Bolton and his team of volunteers supporting her and her husband through these difficult times.
The event also attracted the attention of passers-by, who were impressed by the care, hard work, and quality of service provided by the team.
Umain, an engineering graduate from the University of Sussex passing by at the time of the event, praised the project and expressed his interest in supporting it by volunteering, adding that what the team was doing was ‘remarkable’.
He said: “I think it’s a pretty good project, there should be more social projects like this. These (homeless) people are not useless, they definitely have a role in society and we should all do something to help them.”
You can read the the full article here: Crossover Article.
A man we shall call Jonnie( name changed) was found, red eyed through crying, in central Brighton having only that morning been released from a Brighton hospital following a failed suicide bid. The bandages were still taped to the back of his hands from his medical treatment and he was wearing the flimsiest of jackets and no jumper. He was homeless, without hope, and preparing himself for a further suicide attempt( He had made 2 attempts in as many weeks)
One of the crossover volunteers kindly agreed to put Jonnie up overnight and it was planned to meet for breakfast the following morning to find a way forward.
Over breakfast a tragic story of abuse and victimisation at the hands of drug dealers unravelled, a story which was subsequently verified. This man needed help and there was no safety net left for him.
Together David and Jonnie took a 24 hour journey of Doctors surgeries, Crisis Mental Health assessments and lengthy waiting in Council offices to secure a safe bed overnight and a visit to Hove’s Mill view hospital. Jonnie was later referred to Swandean for recuperation suffering from “Post Traumatic Stress”
Some times people get to the very end of coping and just need someone to step in and take control…Jonnie is not yet through his battles but at least he lived to see another day and we believe find a future and some hope………
29th November…….Story continued…..
Jonnie has now been discharged from hospital and is receiving all the medical and pyschiatric care he needs. He is determined to put the past behind him, has been reconciled with his long term partner, and wants to get actively involved himself by helping others practically over this Christmas and in to the coming year!
A lady met on the street needed a warm coat. It was agreed to meet up the next day to supply a very waterproof winter coat…..her comment to me was “Thank you, you know when I walk the streets people don’t see me I am invisible..thank you …you noticed me”
During the later part of 2012 on one of David’s Street walks he met with a small group of people sitting on a park bench. It was a cold day and a coat was preferable even when walking. One man was dressed only in shorts and a lightweight jacket and was visibly shivering from the cold and in much distress. I had a jumper with me so that helped but promised to come back with some trousers the following day.
As it happened there was a sale on in a clothes shop close by and in particular “cammo” trousers were half price….2 were his size 34 waist!!! Minutes later I returned with the trousers
and as he opened the bag he exclaimed ” BUT they are NEW!” I wonder when he last had a new pair given him?