Jessica Davy in Whitefield celebrated the end of her studies by helping Manchester’s homeless residents. JLife’s Elaine Bermitz finds out more.
Jessica Davy doesn’t let the grass grow under her feet. She works hard and has just gained a first class degree in Finance Accounting and Management from the University of Nottingham.
But after having taken time off to recover and enjoy life with her boyfriend, she decided to give something back to her home community while looking for a job, and volunteered for Help the Homeless, looking after the growing number of homeless people who are so much more visible on Manchester’s streets: “People always remember to help out at Christmas when it is cold,” says Jessica, “but this long, hot summer has seen more homeless people both in shelters and on the streets.”
“After speaking to homeless shelters, they had all said that stock runs low over the summer as most of the generous donations happen over the festive periods. Therefore, I thought it was important to give to those living on the streets, who do not necessarily have loved ones or a support network around them.”
Since 2016, Manchester has seen a 33% dramatic increase in people living on the streets and in temporary accommodation. This means that approximately 4,428 people — one in every 633 people — in Greater Manchester, no longer have a permanent roof over their heads.
Jessica began to volunteer at Narrowgate, part of Manchester City Mission, which provides help and shelter and only then did the scale of the need hit home. Wanting to do more than simply add to the wonderful work which goes on all the time she decided to approach supermarkets, friends and family for donations to distribute. Writing, ringing and approaching potential benefactors occurs frequently, so she was not surprised to be refused by many of the major targets, however, Asda came very close to including her in their list of chosen recipients. But as the donations were already coming in, she decided to go ahead with the project on her own.
In addition she started a Facebook event group and gave herself a deadline for distribution of early August: “The first week after I sent the posts it went very quiet, but the Maccabi centre on Bury Old Road agreed to be a drop-in point and many people began to send money via an online giving site.
“The charity gave me a lot of guidance as to what things to appeal for. It was essential that food was non-perishable, edible and nutritious and that the wearable items were basic and necessary, such as socks underpants, sanitary goods, and the like.”
Undeterred by a slow start, Jessica messaged both her own and her mother’s entire phonebook, and used her social media contacts as well as the GoFundMe online page, eventually resulting in an enormous response of donated goods and money from the community. After the first week a huge variety of items began to come in. Working out of the family home, she then began the arduous process of sorting through them and deciding where they should be sent and who was to deliver them. Four helpful friends stepped in to make up the boxes and a dozen more helped with the bag drop-off. The charity advised which goods were suitable for those who were on the streets and which for the shelters, but all other logistics, such as routes, back up strategies and pick-ups were all arranged by the volunteers: “In total we were able to offer 80 individual bags to people out on the streets and to fill 100 further bags with larger, more storable goods suitable for use in the shelters around Manchester.
“The charity is delighted and I am learning an enormous amount about the different strategies we need to use to combat need in many areas.”
The same skills will no doubt stand her in good stead for more business projects when she begins her future career. Meanwhile she will continue to work with her chosen street charity for as long as she can.
To donate to Jessica’s campaign, visit Uk.gofundme.com/q8dyv-help-the-homeless.
