Emmanuel House, a Nottingham-based charity providing essential services for people experiencing homelessness, has launched its annual Harvest Campaign with a renewed sense of urgency.
For the first time in years, the charity’s food stores have run completely out of some of the essential food items needed to provide daily meals for the people they support.
This year’s appeal is a direct response to the unprecedented demand for their services. The campaign aims to replenish the charity’s storerooms, ensuring that hundreds of vulnerable people have access to vital food and nourishment as the colder months approach.
“We have never seen such a high demand for our food services,” said Denis Tully, CEO of Emmanuel House. “This year, the need is greater than ever, and for the first time in a long time, we’ve had moments this summer where our shelves of items like baked beans and tinned vegetables were completely bare. We had to purchase urgent supplies to provide a varied and balanced meal to people in need that day, and that’s a wake-up call. We rely on the generosity of our community to help us ensure no one goes hungry. Our Harvest Campaign is more crucial than ever.”
Emmanuel House operates a homelessness support centre and the Nottingham Winter Shelter, providing over 150 breakfasts and 120 lunches weekly at its support centre. The charity also anticipates providing around 4,000 breakfasts and 4,000 dinners at its Winter Shelter, which reopens on 20th October 2025. These meals are a lifeline for people who are homeless and are often the first step in their journey toward recovery and stable housing.
The charity is calling on the community to help, by donating essential non-perishable food items. The most-needed items include:
- Ingredients: granulated sugar, jars of cooking sauces, tinned meat, and tinned vegetables.
- Breakfast and snacks: individual porridge pots, breakfast cereal, baked beans, and biscuits.
- Ready meals: Pot noodles, instant pasta pots, and Greggs vouchers.
“Every donation, no matter how small, has a direct impact,” Denis Tully added. “It helps us offer a warm meal and a warm welcome, which is often the start of a person’s journey to moving on from homelessness. We’re asking everyone – businesses, schools, faith groups, and individuals – to get involved and help us restock our shelves and continue our vital work.”
How to help:
- Donate food: Bring non-perishable items to the Emmanuel House Support Centre at 53-61 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FE, Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm.
- Shop online: Purchase items from the Emmanuel House Amazon Wishlist to be delivered directly to the centre.
- Donate funds: Make a monetary donation on the Emmanuel House website to help the charity purchase fresh food and essential supplies.
For more information on the Harvest Campaign, a full list of needed items, and details on how to get involved, please visit the Emmanuel House website https://www.emmanuelhouse.org.uk/urgent-harvest-25/
