About this fundraiser

Hi everyone! To raise money for The Austin Cohen Global Foundation in Salisbury, I will be doing a sponsored 3-day (72 hour) fast from afternoon of Sunday 17th July, to the afternoon of Wedensday 20th. I will only be ingesting water during this time, which also means no caffeine for me either (sob). I will be going about my usual business during this time, including attending Salisbury Speakers on Monday night, and attending work for my usual hours.

Why am I doing this? Salisbury has a lot of homeless people residing within the area. The council dedicates their funds to trying to move them on, rather than on helping the people to overcome the problems that have caused their situations. Recently, a man was beaten and sent to hospital with multiple broken bones for the crime of being homeless. The Austin Cohen Global Foundation has been working with people within the Salisbury area how ever they can. From arranging temporary accomodation to providing a cup of tea and a friendly face, they are trying to help. Through this fundraiser, I hope to be able to help them continue their operations. I will also be donating the food that I would have eaten over those 3 days to the charity, and will be accepting donations to pass on.

Please, help us to make a difference.

About the The Austin Cohen Global Foundation

The Austin Cohen Global Foundation was founded to help some of the most vulnerable people in our local communities - with emphasis on helping the homeless, the elderly, the lonely and isolated among others - in addition to helping some of the most disadvantaged children around the world, especially orphans and children from the poorest communities. The foundation helps people regardless of their circumstances or backgrounds, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, colour, race, religious beliefs, nationalities or anything else. We believe in equality and we see and treat all people the same.

We want to show and give love and compassion, to help make visible those made to feel invisible, to help others see people as humans not just as objects or shadows, not just as homeless, drugs and alcohol addicts, elderly, depressed or any other stigmas - regardless of circumstances.

Charity starts at home. We are faced with a mammoth homelessness challenge in our own communities. We have to act, not out of duty or responsibility, but out of love, kindness and compassion - and because it is the right thing to do. This is one of the Austin Cohen Global Foundation's unique aims - to help homeless people where the government, local councils and some agencies won't, due to lack of local connections and other circumstances including lack of available beds. They end up sleeping on the street without wanting to. Some desperately want to get off the streets and have a fresh start at life. We help them. We don't just find them temporary accommodation. We help them get back into employment. We help them give back to the community while also picking up new skills through volunteering. We help them help themselves pay for their own long term accommodation and have fresh starts. We support them even after so that they are not alone. In Salisbury, we have helped five homeless people get off the street and start afresh since March 2018. We want to help more in Salisbury and other towns and cities in the UK. We are not financially equipped to do that. We are not funded. We rely on the generosity of a few members of the public who respond to our emergency appeals for help whenever we take on a case.

We are currently going through registration with the Charities Commission, which will open up more funding options. This takes time before registration is complete and a charity is issued it's registered charity number. In the meantime the charity can fully legally function, operate and fundraise. The Austin Cohen Global Foundation is fully functional and operational with the help of volunteers and a full board of trustees. We have have a national project that piloted in Salisbury and we can safely say that any homeless person who wants a hot drink can get it free of charge using a free reusable mug at various cafés 7 days a week. We set that up, they just have to use it if and or when they want to. We are extending that slowly across other towns and cities. No one has ever been or is currently paid by the charity, we all earn our living elsewhere. With a multiple of local and national projects, fourteen to sixteen hour working days are standard. It will be very helpful for the charity to afford to pay some staff in future to have their undivided attention in the delivery of projects to help those the foundation set out to serve.

The foundation also aims to reduce loneliness, isolation and alcohol abuse through social projects which will serve to the benefit of the public by providing communities with alternative space on Fridays and Saturdays for people to come and enjoy a free meal, non alcoholic drinks, a range of entertainment and activities including free yoga sessions offered by professionals, board games, dance groups, a variety of music ranging from live orchestras to local bands and artists among others. The project will serve all adult age groups and will welcome everyone as equals including the homeless who often are not allowed in many social venues but can be lonely, bored or seek entertainment just like everyone else. Homeless visitors will be allocated pairs of volunteer buddies to ensure that they safely enjoy their visits. Everyone will be encouraged to mingle and meet new people - while respecting privacy.

We need your help to help us help those who desperately need our help. We currently need your help to raise funds for the Emergency Homeless Fund that is used to help homeless people we rescue from the streets find accommodation, pay for basic essentials and food usually for two to three weeks before they get their first pay cheque and start gaining independence. They just needs a little bit of help to have a fresh start. We also need to raise funds for our other local projects including those aimed at reducing loneliness, isolation and alcohol and drugs abuse.

We are also looking at various fundraising campaigns. Your input and donations will be very much appreciated. We need to build a fund that will help people when they need our help without putting out emergency appeals and racing against time. Not everyone wants to or is willing to get off the streets. We acknowledge that. For those who are not ready we still share meals, laughter and conversations with them. They tell us that sometimes all they want from us is just a little bit of kindness and compassion - not to be seen as drugs or alcohol addicts - they want to be seen as humans not just as homeless men and women. We see them as humans and individuals. They have our love, support and compassion. We encourage you to see them that way too.

Our hearts are always heavy with the plight of human suffering that many endure. While we cannot help the whole world we can help a few people in their darkest struggles. Please let us never lose compassion for those who desperately need it. Let us not become numb to the pain and suffering of people around us. Together we can and we will make a real positive difference.

We thank you so very much for your support.

❤

Austin Cohen Global Foundation.

https://www.facebook.com/AustinCohenGlobalFoundation