Our Story
Our Story
Led by Lloyd and Shoshana Gilmore, Help 4 The Homeless has been working for nearly 7 years in Hertfordshire and Central London to supply food, clothes and essentials to rough sleepers and the homeless, on a weekly basis. We work hands-on with our “friends on the street”, supported by an amazing team of volunteers using hand-trolleys and working with the homeless on a person-centred basis. We meet amazing people and count it a privilege to help them.
Many organisations help the homeless over Christmas but we are there all year round, in rain, snow, wind and blazing sunshine. It's so important that we do our part to help the homeless.
2017 To Date
Our story began when Shoshana Gilmore was walking through a park in Watford and saw a homeless man sleeping on a park bench. She went out of her way to help him but couldn’t get that encounter and the image of him on the bench out of her mind. Shoshana shared this with her husband Lloyd and together they decided they needed to help people in that situation.
Shoshana and Lloyd initially took food and clothing into Central London (simply because the numbers are higher there), carrying them in big bags on the tube. That was nearly 6 years ago. They graduated to a Mini and then an estate car and shared the need with others and built up a small team of donors and volunteers by using hand trolleys and supporting people on a person-centred basis.
Recently, the amazing anonymous gift of a liveried van has transformed what they can do!
Lloyd and Shoshana’s compassionate response to real human need has developed into a weekly care initiative in London, a food poverty project, a team of over 40 volunteers (across food preparation, food and clothing distribution, support for rough sleepers) and more. We work hands-on with our “friends on the street” and meet amazing people and count it a privilege to help them.
Pandemic 2020-2022
The Covid 19 pandemic made homelessness much more of an issue. The Government was concerned to provide additional support and saw homeless people as potential transmitters of the virus. Most stayed on the streets. However the reduced footfall in town meant that they had less donations and an even less help. We continued to go out every Thursday to the West End to visit the homeless and meet their needs with suitable safeguarding and infection barriers, masks and gloves etc.
Summer 2022
We had by now an enthusiastic team of volunteers and increasing interest and financial support and we decided it was time to take things to a new level and turn our informal aid organisation into a registered charity. We worked with a charity development consultant, now our part-time Development Director and in October 2022 we were delighted to secure charitable status to help us secure additional funding and do more for those in need.
March 2023 - Our Gala Dinner Launch event
Our formal charity launch event was a black tie dinner at the Mansion House in Moor park, Watford (not far from that first homelessness encounter where it all began). Almost 100 people attended and we raised £10,000 after costs to kick start the charity’s development. Come and Join us in May 2024!
Want to support our team?
Many organisations help the homeless over Christmas but we are there all year round, in rain, snow, wind and blazing sunshine. It's so important that we do our part to help the homeless.