The Canaan Trust is based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, providing food parcels to individuals and families in need, including the homeless.

During the past 12 months the Trust has experienced a 20% increase in calls on its Food Bank provision. The Food Bank is accessible 7 days a week which makes it unique in the Borough.

The calls on the Trust’s Food Bank resources have increased significantly while conversely the donations of food and toiletries from Community supporters had decreased as even the Trust’s stalwart supporters have been impacted by the financial pressures of modern-day living.

Equally unique is the fact that the Food Bank acts as a gateway and a safeguard to support individuals and families whose request for food aid is but the visible manifestation of their deeper and more significant needs.

The Trust has on 3134 occasions supported individuals and families through its Food Bank Services. Of these clients 172 were further supported to address critical issues relating to issues with their benefits, rent arrears, historical debt, challenging Section 21 Eviction Notices.

Could you please help us by making a financial donation?   Donations will be spent on food, essential household items and the foodbank warehouse rent.

On a daily basis we are having people come to us in crisis situations, plus working parents and individuals come to us who are having to make impossible decisions between buying food or paying rent, with the worry of not knowing how they'll keep their home warm this winter.

Our foodbank, means that people can put what little money they have towards paying their bills, ensuring they can keep a roof over their head and put food on the table.  

The Trust's Support Workers will also spend time with each person, listening to their personal circumstances and help them to budget, work out their expenditure, maximise their income, provide ideas on how to shop and cook on a budget.  

The Trust doesn't just provide a food parcel - it works to get to the root cause of the issue.

ABOUT OUR ORGANISATION AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE

The Canaan Trust is a registered charity (no. 1105657) based in Derbyshire that has been listening, supporting and caring for the homeless and vulnerable since 1995. 

Operating 24-7, 365 the Trust provides holistic person centred support for any individual, male or female, or family who may be homeless, in danger of becoming homeless, or in need. The Trust accommodates 12 male homeless, aged 16 to 70+ at any given time in two houses and is currently renovating a 9 bedroom property to accommodate female homeless to meet existing and growing demand.   

For the Trust, simply providing a ‘bed for the night’ fails to address the core causes/effects of homelessness and as such the support that the Trust provides is holistic, recognising that each unique individual’s journey into homelessness is complex comprising both physical and emotional issues.   The support and care offered by the Trust seeks to enable each individual or family address their housing needs, their physical health, their mental health and emotional issues, their financial barriers (obtain a bank account/benefits/debts), establish and maintain contact with statutory services.  The Trust objective is to empower and enable each individual or family to achieve the best they can achieve by supporting them to successfully move on to independent living.

The Trust never gives up on individuals, making every effort to meet needs regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion or belief, ensuring that we can meet the diverse needs of our client group. Each year we support hundreds of people in crisis and recognise that homelessness can affect anybody, at any stage of their life, from any background and from any occupation.

The Trust is supported by a team of volunteers who are all compassionate and enthusiastic individuals with roles that span supermarket bucket collections, supporting stands at public events, packing food parcels, sorting donations of food in our foodbank, supporting our education programme, buddying and befriending.   Annually we run a sleep out where over 50 members of the local community helps raise awareness of homelessness and to show their support for the Trust whilst raising much needed funds.  

THANK YOU!  YOUR SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED