Sunderland Community Soup kitchen launches hot water initiative to ensure homeless can eat and stay hydrated

Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen founder Andrea Bell has urged people across the city to "show they care" by being willing to give homeless people hot and cold water to to use for food and to stay hydrated.

Andrea has launched the campaign to help fill the void of support for homeless people outside of the Soup Kitchen's opening hours which currently operates from Albert's Place in the city centre every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 3pm and 4pm and Sunday between midday and 1pm.

She said: "I was loading some items into the back of my car when I was approached by a homeless man from Newcastle who had travelled through to Sunderland.

"He offered to help and we got chatting. We were closed and we got talking about whether he wanted to take some pot noodles so if he was hungry later then he could get some hot water and he would have something to eat.

"He said no one would be willing to give him hot water.

"I do worry about how people who rely on our support get by when we are closed and this man's response got me thinking about whether this is actually the case.

"It's just a bit of water and if we all look after each other then surely we will be a better city."

Andrea decided to put a message out on the Soup Kitchen's Facebook page to see whether local businesses would be willing to provide hot water to those in need.

After receiving a positive response, Andrea is now planning to launch the Caring City initiative over Easter.

She said: "Loads of businesses replied to say they would be willing to provide hot water. One hairdresser even said she would be willing to give people a free haircut.

"The idea is that we can provide people with supplies such as pot noodles, tea, coffee and cuppa-soups which people can then get hot water for to enable them to have some food and stay warm during the times we are not open.

"We can give people the supplies, we just need people willing to give them some hot water.

"We have had some 'Sunderland the Caring City' stickers printed by a local company which businesses in the city can display in their windows so people know they are welcome to ask for help and don't need to feel embarrassed."

Andrea hopes to give out the stickers to launch the initiative over Easter. She is also looking for donations of metal flasks so people living homeless can keep supplies of water hot.

However, it's not just supplies of hot water which the stickers will signify.

Andrea added: "Each summer when I'm cooking in the Soup Kitchen I often get a knock in the door with people asking for a drink of water or juice.

"People who visit the kitchen say there is only one water fountain and that is located on Chester Road at the cemetery.

"Being hydrated is so important to people's health and not having enough to drink is equally as big a problem for people living homeless as not having enough eat."

Any business or venue located in the city who would like to sign up to the initiative should contact Andrea via the Soup Kitchen's Facebook Page.

She said: "We need to show we care and we need to show we area a caring city."