Our Model
It did not take us long to realise the traditional foodbank model did not work to actually tackle crisis or poverty. Food parcels alone only served to bandage over the deep–rooted problems of poverty, not solving them.
We have been on a journey, building the wraparound support model in 2012 enabled us to focus on quickly understanding why the individual referred to us had fallen into crisis, and how they, and those who depend on them, have been affected. They needed solutions, effective solutions – not food support.
We have evolved, and in terms of how that looks day to day, we give person-centric, rapid support to clients who have recently hit a crisis in order to get their lives back on track as quickly as possible. That often means stopping evictions for people who are being wrongly evicted, supporting domestic abuse victims or reclaiming benefits for vulnerable individuals and families who are entitled to them. And sometimes that might mean giving the client an emergency food parcel to keep them going for a week until income kicks in, sometimes not…
What it always means is dedicated support to get individuals out of the crisis they are facing. It means ensuring we get to the bottom of the problem so that it stays away. It means being prepared to ask the uncomfortable questions that help get these individuals back to a more comfortable life.
We show compassion to every individual we meet, show empathy where there may not have been empathy previously. For us it’s about listening, empowering, putting ourselves in their shoes and helping them to re-build their confidence so they can take steps towards living independently again.
We are a service that provides help in time of crisis.
We do the hard work.
We don’t dust over problems and move along.
We help to put an end to the crisis and create permanent change.
We have more than 14 years’ experience in putting an end to crisis.
Here at First Love, we love first – and love is at the very centre of every action we take.
And the most beautiful thing about it, is our model works.
How you can help
Want to help the local community? There are different ways to get involved.
Donate money
Out most pressing need right now is funding. Our charity is funded by the public, by people just like you.
Donations help us with the core part of our work, with solving immediate crisis and keeping it away.
You can donate here: Donate money
Donate your time
We have a very small team, so any time you can give will make a difference – from helping at our office, assisting us with graphic design for our social media posts, providing interpreter support for non-English-speaking clients, or getting involved in our employment support programme – we couldn’t do it without you.
Want to refer someone?
If your organisation would like to refer someone in crisis, get in touch to find out how you can partner with us.