A morning at the Haven
Monday morning and the staff at the Haven are taking in our first delivery of the week, the supermarket shop for fresh food. This morning we have Steve (the manager) and Bella, Karoline, Debbie and Juliette (support workers).
Steve starts the admin ready for the week and the team puts away the delivery, starts making sandwiches for the packed lunches, and prepares for the first drop-in of the week which starts at 9.30am. We are currently supporting many individuals in various ways, from people who use us as a postal address, individuals who are in temporary accommodation, people who are "sofa-surfing", as well as people who are street homeless.
Our kitchen volunteer arrives and starts preparing bacon and egg sandwiches for this morning’s hot breakfast, which we are currently serving through our side gate, due to COVID restrictions. We have had to adapt many times since last March, but we have managed to offer hot food at least once a day, six days a week for those who are in need.
We open the gates for drop-in and we have six attendees, all of whom want a breakfast, a hot drink and a lunch to takeaway. We also have one who wants a shower and clean clothing. We provide these as well as socks and underwear for the others. Drop-in closes at 10.30am and we clean up and prepare for a booked one to one meeting at 11am.
Just before 11am, an individual appears straight from hospital discharge. He is still in a hospital gown and is quite confused. Bella immediately springs into action and offers humanitarian support, while Karoline contacts Watford Borough Council regarding possible housing due to vulnerability. The council will call back as they are aware of the person concerned. The waiting game begins.
Meanwhile, our 11.00 appointment arrives and needs help with a housing application. Juliette and Debbie meet with him and support him to complete an online housing advice form. Halfway through the process, the individual takes a call from someone, tells them - and us - that we are useless and storms out of the building. A more common occurrence than you would think.
We are still awaiting a call back regarding the person discharged from hospital who is getting fidgety. Bella keeps him busy chatting as Karoline attempts to get through to the council again. Juliette and Debbie meet with someone else at 12.00 for another online housing application; this time it’s more successful and they complete this for the individual and get all the relevant supporting paperwork to the council.
Karoline has managed to speak with someone at the council and discovers that the gentleman discharged from hospital already has temporary accommodation. We arrange to get them safely to their accommodation in a taxi.
Another good morning’s work.
Steve Devine, Manager of The Haven
From June, the team at The Haven will focus on providing humanitarian aid for people facing homelessness: hot food, showers, laundry faciliites, and clean clothes. Alongside this very practical support, the team will provide help and advice to people threatened with homelessness or who are homeless but not rough sleeping. This will include opening two evenings a week to ensure people who are in work but worried about their housing situation can still access support. Please keep an eye on our website for more information and details of how to help.