Newsletter - 27 November 2022
The Cost of Living Crisis
Caritas Westminster is the social outreach charity of the Diocese of Westminster that seeks to bring about a society where people are respected and can live a life of dignity and worth. It is underpinned by Catholic Social Teaching at the heart of which are four ethical principles of Love, Truthfulness, Justice and Freedom.
On Saturday 12 November they hosted a Cost of Living Conference on practical ways to help people overwhelmed with day to day living costs and debt.
At some point in our lives, most of us have money worries. Sometimes this will be short term but for many, and especially in the current cost of living crisis, financial difficulties will be an ongoing struggle. People might be behind with important household bills like rent, mortgage, gas, electricity or council tax, struggling to meet minimum payments on credit cards, finding they need to borrow money to fund day-to-day living expenses or borrowing from one place to pay off a debt somewhere else. Reckless overspending is rarely the problem. It is possible that more than one in ten homes in our area are blighted by the shame and fear that indebtedness creates, worrying whether they can afford to pay for the roof over their heads or feed their children. Dealing with financial crisis and debt issues should be a high-profile compassion ministry.
Signposting someone, struggling with the cost of living or in debt, to financial advice specialists is a vital step in helping them. Some agencies and organisations can offer free, confidential and impartial advice.
Here are some places to search for advice:
advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk
www.mymoneysteps.org - Online budgeting and debt service
www.stepchange.org/debtremedy.aspx
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/tools/budget-planner - Online budgeting service
www.tur2us.org,uk/ - Benefits search, grants search and information and resources on income
www.simplegreenenergy.org - Energy efficiency advice
For further information please leave your contact details in the parish office and I will get back to you.
We must do all we can to respond to the current crisis and open our parish community to those suffering from hardship because there is an unbreakable
bond between Love of God and Love of Neighbour.
Helena Worley
Our Common Home Team
Focus of the Week
CHRISTMAS OPEN DAY
Sunday 25 December
INVITATIONS to the Open Day are available in the entrance hall. Please take one if you would like to come or know of anyone who would be alone on Christmas day.
Please complete a form and return to the parish office as soon as possible.
Please can you spare an hour or two on Christmas Day to help serve the lunch and/or wash up? If so, please complete a form and indicate the slot you are available for. If you have any queries please contact the parish office.