Assistance from Churches Together in Boston in Lincolnshire

Several services are available from a partnership of charities in Boston. Since a number of churches, such as St Marys, St. Peter and St Paul, and Zion Methodist, work together as part of the agency this make it easier for people to drop in. It increases the chances of having a programme near where a family lives.

Almost 20 different churches make up the organisation. They have partnered together to provide assistance to the vulnerable in the Lincolnshire area. There is a a local debt centre from Churches Together in Boston to assist with bills in arrears. Other programmes range from the emergency cold weather shelter to soup kitchens and more.

Find help from the Debt Centre

The Churches Together in Boston (CtiB) is part of CAP – Christians Against Poverty. This not-for-profit operates across the UK. They provide free advice to clients so that they can regain stability with their finances.

Lincolnshire families that are in debt arrears can get help in two ways. No matter which service is needed, the client will be able to work with a specialist on a face to face basis.

One resource provided is the Money Course, and the other is the general assistance in dealing with all sorts of debt that a household may owe. Used together these programmes have helped many families improve finances.

The Debt Centre in Boston can be used by people local to Lincolnshire. Referrals are given to it by all of the local churches, including Holy Trinity and the Baptist Church. It is an ongoing service that can bring lifelong change. The coach will continue to meet with the borrower until all of their debts have been paid or are eliminated in some fashion.

The Money Course is beneficial for people to learn the basics of finance. They can learn the advantages to using a credit union in Lincolnshire for low interest rate loans and not turning to a payday company. Other resources range from a debt management plan for credit card bills to other sorts of free advice from CAP. Clients of the Churches Together in Boston can also learn how to budget property and manage their bills on a monthly basis.

Food, housing and meal services from the Boston Churches

Centenary Church runs the emergency shelter for the charity. It is set up a a dormitory, and is only open when there have been 3 nights in a row of every cold weather. Both men and women can use the shelter. They will be given a meal, clothing, drinks, and counselling. When it is open, the hours are from 11pm to 7am in the Boston area.

In addition to the shelter, the churches also provide more emergency services in Lincolnshire. Many of their clients are in arrears on their housing costs. So the charity can link them to schemes that may may offer them help with rent. The aim of Churches Together, as well as the programmes they are involved in, are to stop homelessness and ensure the vulnerable have a place to live. Those referrals they offer to rental assistance can be very valuable.

The charity provides a free food bank and soup kitchen. This can help address the hunger that takes place in the area.

The soup kitchen is available for residents living in poverty in Lincolnshire. Other users of the site include the homeless or anyone that is threatened with a crisis. It is open on Saturdays and is located at Centenary Methodist Church. What may be provided includes hot soup, cakes, tea, rolls, or drinks such as coffee.

A food bank from CTiB is also for families on a low income in Boston or Sutterton or those that are threatened with a financial crisis. Volunteers from the community collect donated items from the community. Other partners include care workers, who provide vouchers to use at the Lincolnshire food bank.

If found to be eligible, the client will be given a parcel with a few days worth of groceries. They will also have the ability to be referred to other benefits they may need. The charity has volunteers that operate with local food banks to provide parcels to the vulnerable.

For more information, drop in at a church above or ring 01205 821300.