The Salvation Army offer hot Christmas Day lunch to homeless
published on 23 Dec 2022
Church and charity to provide a hot Christmas lunch for homeless people in Blackpool
The Salvation Army is opening its doors on Christmas Day to serve festive food to homeless members of the Blackpool community.
Providing turkey and all the trimmings to as many as 100 people, the church and charity on Raikes Parade will open the doors to users of its homeless service, The Bridge Project.
The church has hosted a Christmas day lunch for a number of years but church leaders of The Salvation Army in Blackpool Captains Naomi and John Clifton, say this year demand across the homeless community is higher.
Captain Naomi Clifton said: “We are providing lunch to homeless people across Fylde Coast that would otherwise not have access to a hot meal, or perhaps any meal at all, on Christmas Day. The users of our Bridge Project will attend our church and community centre to experience a warm and welcoming environment which for many, may be the first Christmas that they have spent with others for quite some time.
“We feel no one should miss out on love and warmth on Christmas Day and opening our doors to serve those less fortunate and support the people hardest hit in our community is what the Christmas story inspires us to do.”
The Bridge Project, an on-site drop in for rough sleepers across the Fylde Coast, typically operates four days a week, Monday to Friday, excluding Wednesdays, from 12:30pm, 51 weeks of the year with users having access to showering and laundry facilities, clothing support, telephones, signposting to other organisations and a hot and healthy meal with a drink.
The provision will operate on Wednesday, December 28, Thursday, December 29, and Friday, December 30, from 9:00 am until 11:00 am for the Homeless Hub and 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm for hot lunches. Normal hours will resume from Tuesday, January 3.
The Salvation Army Blackpool South, with its church and community centre on Dorset Street, will also be hosting a Christmas Day meal this year for people who would otherwise be on their own, such as lonely or elderly members of the community, or families that might struggle to afford a Christmas dinner.
