Help us give more people like Mark a second chance

Mark lost his way early in life. His family fell on hard times, and he found himself in some very bad company. 

By the age of 17, he was addicted to heroin. For years he was homeless and spent nights on the street – freezing and hungry. He knew that heroin was slowly killing him and he tried every way he could to quit. Mark remembers, 

‘I couldn’t stop the drugs, as the withdrawal was terrible.’ 

Thankfully, it was The Salvation Army who saw the good in Mark and gave him a second chance. Mark found loving friendship at our homeless drop-in. Without judgement, we helped him find somewhere to live in supported accommodation. We gave him hope that he could break free from drugs, supporting him throughout his addiction recovery.

This Christmas, Mark is looking forward to spending the day with his friends at The Salvation Army. He’ll be volunteering at our drop-in, serving lunch and giving people perhaps their first happy Christmas in years. He says,

‘The Salvation Army became my saviour, and that’s why I volunteer. I’d probably be dead without them.’ 

In us, people like Mark have a friend who will never give up on them. In The Salvation Army we can help change people’s lives with compassion and practical help. 

Please support our Christmas Appeal so that we can provide companionship, hot food and somewhere safe to spend the night for people in desperate need.

A small gift of: 

• £9 could contribute towards one-to-one support work for a person experiencing homelessness. 
• £19 could help pay for a box of groceries and modest gifts so that a family living in poverty can share a Christmas meal together. 
• £28 could provide a Christmas dinner, a small gift and the promise of companionship for three lonely older or vulnerable people.