Health-on-Line teamed with local charity Hope for Food on Tuesday 7th January to provide and serve Christmas dinner, cooked by chefs from the Hilton Bournemouth, to those in need at the Sacred Heart Church, on Richmond Hill.
The Bournemouth-based private medical insurer’s generosity enabled over 75 homeless people and families on low income to benefit from a Christmas tradition that is often taken for granted. Working alongside Hope for Food’s regular volunteers, Health-on-Line’s employees helped serve during the evening to show their support for the local charity.
Health-on-Line are dedicated to investing back into the local community, as well as supporting their chosen charities each year through fundraising and volunteering activities.
Mary Duncan, Secretary at Hope for Food said: “The men and women who attended the Hope for Food soup kitchen were treated to a late Christmas meal. All had a thoroughly enjoyable time and the charity is extremely grateful for the time and effort given by the staff to organise and take part in the soup kitchen.
“The need for what we do is growing all the time so we are grateful for all the amazing support we get.”
Figures from Shelter state England’s overall homeless population in 2016 was 250,000 and, in Dorset alone, at least 459 people in Bournemouth, 287 people in Poole, 150 people in Christchurch and 100 people in East Dorset are currently homeless.
Hope for Food’s mission is to assist men, women and children in Bournemouth and the surrounding areas, who are either homeless or living in poverty, by providing fresh food at their soup kitchens, food hampers, clothing, bedding and household goods.
Set up and run entirely by volunteers, 52 weeks of the year, the organisation was founded in 2012 and continues to provide life’s basic essentials on a day-to-day basis to people in need of help.
During 2015 Health-on-Line was able to support Hope for Food as part of their ongoing CSR scheme which during the past five years has raised over £50,000 for local charities; as well as provide a van to Hope for Food in support of the work they do.