Residents from Sunrise of Eastbourne have been busy knitting hats and scarves and setting up a donation fund in aid of the “Help the Homeless” campaign, led by two local primary school children.
Aiming to source and wrap Christmas gifts for homeless people throughout Eastbourne, the campaign is the brainchild of Kyle, aged 9, and Max, age 7, who both attend Ocklynge Junior School on Victoria Drive.
Last year Kyle and Max delivered over 60 wrapped Christmas gifts to homeless people in Eastbourne and are striving to hand out even more this year, with the help of Sunrise of Eastbourne.
After Sunrise of Eastbourne’s General Manager, Fiona White, heard about the campaign, residents and team members decided to come together and create a range of wearable Christmas presents, as well as set up a donations trolley, and fill bags with blankets, duvets and sleeping bags. This will add to the collection of clothes and toiletries that Kyle and Max have already gathered.
Fiona will accompany some of the residents from Sunrise of Eastbourne on Christmas Eve, to deliver the gifts.
Now in its third year, the “Help the Homeless” campaign originated from Kyle and Max’s involvement in Ocklynge Primary School’s “Love in a Box” initiative, through which Christmas presents were sent to disadvantaged children abroad.
One day, Kyle came home to his mother to request that presents also be delivered to those in the local area that needed them, and the campaign was born. Kyle and Max want to extend the programme so that, once gifts have been given to homeless people in Eastbourne, parcels are also taken to Brighton and central London, where the rate of homelessness is even greater.
The “Help the Homeless” campaign is one example of the ways in which Sunrise of Eastbourne engages with the surrounding community, and promotes activities that enable residents to be creative and expressive. Fiona and the team at Sunrise of Eastbourne are accepting donations until 15th December to help Kyle and Max’s efforts.
The care community provides high-quality nursing care, dementia care, and assisted living, focused on a range of individual needs.
Fiona White, General Manager at Sunrise of Eastbourne, said:
“It has been heart-warming to see so many of our residents get behind Kyle and Max’s inspirational ‘Help the Homeless’ campaign.
“The initiative is a great way to bring Christmas cheer to homeless people throughout Eastbourne, and is a fantastic example of different generations coming together to help others.
“At Sunrise of Eastbourne we continually strive to engage our residents in creative activities and reach out to the local community, and we look forward to supporting the ‘Help the Homeless’ campaign in the coming years.”
