“Many homeless people volunteer with us every day, helping others in their situation.”

If you haven’t seen it, this year our Advent appeal is shining a spotlight on what’s really important at Christmas – and beyond too.

Here, Amanda who leads our homelessness services tells us more about how your support will help us as we celebrate Christmas with local people in our day centres and supported accommodation projects…

What does your role at Caritas involve?  

I’m the head of homelessness which means I support and oversee all of Caritas homelessness projects across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. This can involve everything from developing new services to escalating safeguarding concerns and also some dish washing when we’re short staffed. 

What is Christmas like in your services? Is there a typical day? 

Christmas for me will involve visiting a few of our services.

For example, at Cornerstone we’ll be serving a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings to around 100 people and at Caritas House, our newest accommodation project in North Manchester, we’ll be supporting the 19 residents to cook a dinner together – so we’ll be peeling spuds, basting the turkey and boiling spouts, just like families all over the country. 

How do you support local people at this time of year – and beyond?  

Christmas can be hard for people who can’t be with their families for all sorts of different reasons but at Cornerstone, Red Door, Maryvale, Morning Star and Caritas House we become people’s families for the time that they are with us, providing the love, care and listening ear that people need at Christmas and all the year round. 

Are you seeing more people who need support coming to your services recently?  If so, why do you think that is?  

Our day centres are busier than ever due to the struggles people are having finding accommodation or heating their homes if they have somewhere to stay.  

The number of homeless people – single people of all ages and families – is increasing and so are our waiting lists for our supported accommodation.  When we get a vacancy we are always able to fill it the same day. There is a chronic shortage of housing in England. 

What do you wish people would know, or what myths would you like to change, about your services or the people that access them, and our work as a charity?  

Sometimes people think that homeless people can’t help themselves but we know that so many of them are trying really hard to navigate really complicated systems to try and resolve their problems.  Many of them also spend their time, not just helping themselves, but also helping other people in their situation. 

We have volunteers at Cornerstone who are homeless themselves but still come in early every morning to help prepare the dinner and stay until after closing time to help with the cleaning.  They deserve our thanks and our respect. 

Why are appeals like the Advent appeal so important?  

We can’t run our services without the support of the public.  

The financial donations that people make during Advent keep us going throughout the year and ensure that we can offer a warm welcome, a hot meal and wrap around support to enable people to come off the streets and make new homes in the community.  

However much you are able to give, it makes a huge difference, so I just want to say thank you from all the people who are homeless who will have a better Christmas and a better 2026 because of your support. 

What would you say to people considering supporting Caritas this Christmas?  

Your support will make a real difference to helping us achieve our mission of tackling poverty and ending homelessness in Greater Manchester and Lancashire – and it might be the donation that pays for the turkey and the spouts on Christmas Day or the new bedding for someone coming off the streets into our supported accommodation as we help them to rebuild their lives in 2026. 

What is the true meaning of Christmas to you and how will you put it into action this year?  

For me Christmas is about love and family and that includes the families we create in our Caritas homelessness services, when we ensure people don’t have to be alone over the Christmas period. 

How will you #BeeThere for others this Christmas?  

I’ll be at Cornerstone and our Caritas House accommodation project on Christmas Day peeling potatoes and spending time with people and then home to my husband and family to eat the Christmas dinner that they will have prepared. 

What would you like to shine a spotlight on this Christmas?  

I’d like us to look back on a year when we helped so many people come off the streets and make new homes for themselves and look forward to 2026 when will be doubling our efforts to prevent people from becoming homeless. 

What’s really important at this time of year?  

That we take the time to listen to each other and look out for people who are struggling and try to make sure that no one is alone over this special time of year. 

To make a donation to Bee There for others this Christmas, click here now.