Dear visitor,
By purchasing The Punch & Judy Man & Other stories you are doing your bit to help the local community because we are donating 40% of the sales to Porchlight - Kent's largest charity for homeless and vulnerable people.
"If it weren't for Porchlight, I don't think I'd be around today. They gave me a safe place to call home and the help I needed to make a new start. Porchlight and its supporters helped save my life." - Audrey
Porchlight helps people like Audrey. For six horrendous months, she lived in a tent on one of Kent's beaches. It was freezing cold and terrifying.
On her first night outside, the sound of a car startled her so much she ran from her tent and thought her abusive ex-partner had found where she was. Over time, Audrey got more used to living on the streets, but her trust in people didn't return.
Thankfully, things changed when Audrey called Porchlight's helpline. It quickly got help to her and she's now safely inside, receiving support to rebuild her life.
Every year, Porchlight helps hundreds of others like Audrey who are homeless. It also supports people who are at risk of becoming homeless and people who experience poor mental health and are struggling to cope.
Due to the economic and emotional impacts of the coronavirus crisis, more people than ever need Porchlight's help.
Thanks to your support, it can continue being there for those with nowhere else to turn, ensuring they don't have to cope alone.
Porchlight has a wide range of services to help people in Kent who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, and those who are experiencing poor mental health and struggling to cope. These include...
Helpline: this is a lifeline for people in crisis. It helps them to access Porchlight services, as well as food banks, drop-in centres, places of safety, mental health support and more.
Rough sleeper support: Porchlight's outreach team finds people who are homeless and helps them to access safe and secure accommodation.
Supported housing: Porchlight's hostels and shared houses are safe environments where people can recover from the chaos and stress of homelessness and take steps to rebuild their lives.
Specialist support for complex cases of homelessness: help for those on the streets who have the most complicated needs and struggle to engage with typical homelessness services. They are moved straight into their own home where they can recover from homelessness at their own pace.
Homelessness prevention: specialist support to help people keep their home, or manage any problems that are putting them at risk of homelessness.
Work, health and learning: if you've been homeless it can count against you when going for a job. When people feel ready, Porchlight provides confidence-building opportunities to gain qualifications to get where they want to be in life.
Mental health support: People with mental health issues may be particularly vulnerable to social problems including loss of income, their job or their home. Porchlight helps them access support and address these issues so their situation doesn't get worse.
Support for LBGT+ young people: providing safe spaces and advice to those who identify as LGBT+, a demographic which is disproportionately affected by homelessness. With the right environment, they have the chance of a brighter future.
To find out more about Porchlight's work, visit www.porchlight.org.uk