This campaign has now closed
Short stop provides emergency accommodation to destitute and homeless asylum seekers and refugees. Volunteers open up their own homes and provide an evening meal, bed and breakfast.
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Short Stop helps asylum seekers and refugees to contend with considerable uncertainty and change. The welcome and practical support provided in a Short Stop home results in improvements in mental health, better access to services, reduced isolation and greater understanding between hosts and asylum seekers of each others cultures. Short Stop recruits volunteer hosts who open up their homes to asylum seekers who have nowhere else to stay. Hosts provide an evening meal, and bed and breakfast, and this is organised on a night-by-night basis for up to six consecutive nights: most hosts offer 1 – 3 nights. 2006 saw a record number of referrals to Short Stop. We had 326 referrals, and provided at least 416 nights’ accommodation. In the 8 months from January – August 2007 we provided 265 nights of accommodation to 214 asylum seekers and refugees. This included 15 children. Unfortunately, we were also unable to provide accommodation on 38 occasions. In 2008 Short Stop aims to: • Provide emergency accommodation to over 300 destitute and homeless asylum seekers • Recruit, train and induct new volunteers to reach and maintain 50 active hosts • Provide on-going support and training to volunteer hosts • Monitor & develop our service to respond to changing needs e.g. for longer term accommodation