Helping the Homeless

As in all towns, there are plenty of people in need in Cambridge. Fisher House has a long tradition of bringing food and other supplies to the homeless and destitute. For many years the Chaplaincy's own SVP took the lead. After the disruption of lockdowns, it is now the Companions of the Order of Malta - any member of Fisher House who wishes to be involved - who are ensuring that we serve others on the streets around us.

Stefan, one of the coordinators, writes: 'At present, our focus is restarting the soup run at Fisher House, after it had been stopped by Covid restrictions. We are working giving the homeless food and refreshments every weekday evening, and we hope to achieve this before the end of Michaelmas term. Currently we are giving them sandwiches, pastries, and tea/coffee/hot chocolate. A small group of volunteers takes a trolley around a route through central Cambridge between about 5.15pm and 6.30pm. We also have other projects planned, such as distributing packages of clothing to the homeless, collecting items of clothing to be given to other homeless charities, and, in the more distant future, projects possibly involving giving companionship to the lonely (in particular those who are elderly), and serving full-sized hot meals to the homeless and poor. The current leadership is me (sb2527) and Aeneas (ad2168). We are looking for all the volunteers we get.'

The Sovereign Order of Malta is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilisation. A lay religious order of the Catholic Church since 1113 and a subject of international law, the Order has diplomatic relations with over 100 states and the European Union, and permanent observer status at the United Nations. It is neutral, impartial and apolitical. It is especially involved in helping people living in the midst of armed conflicts and natural disasters by providing medical assistance, caring for refugees, and distributing medicines and basic equipment for survival. The Companions of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (CoM) is a key volunteer force for delivering the charitable work of the Order in Great Britain. Their mission is ‘to practise our faith and to practise charity’.