For more than 140 years, Whitechapel Mission has stood its ground in the heart of London, providing the homeless and underserved residents food, clothing, resources, and encouragement without judgement. Three hundred men and women visit Whitechapel Mission each day and are met with smiles by the 8 full-time staff members and the 4,600 individuals who volunteer their time throughout the year. The clients of Whitechapel Mission sometimes come with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, a few possessions, and a lifetime of stories that are sometimes hard to digest. In the mix are veterans, teenagers, runaways, victims of abuse, and some that are just down on their luck and in need of a hand up.
Whitechapel Mission has been and always will be, a highly-efficient charity whose success depends solely on the generosity of corporate and individual donors. Rather than allocating a portion of their donations for fundraising through advertising, Whitechapel Mission focuses on creating long-lasting partnerships with the community. Their transparency, capability, and impact has proven effective as they always have a steady stream of donations as well as a long list of volunteers that fill their calendars throughout the year to help sort, pack, and serve. Whitechapel also partners with agencies and other local organizations to provide critical services such as drug rehabilitation, job training, and securing of a permanent residence.
For our UK Team Volunteer Month Activity, we had a wonderful time sorting donated clothes, shoes, and toiletries and learning more about the impact of Whitechapel on the “hungry, homeless and hurting.” Thank you for the opportunity to participate in such a hearty event and for providing us with cookies, coffee, and a ton of community spirit!
