Kent Community Foundation awards financial support to buy food and essentials for the homeless.
Open House Rochester supports people who are living alone or homeless by providing shelter, food and friendship in a peaceful and safe environment. The project aims to develop a sense of community and understanding including guests, volunteers and donors. They received a donation of £4,000 in January 2025 through the Richards Watts Charities’ Fund, administered by grant-makers Kent Community Foundation.
Open House applied to Kent Community Foundation for a grant to help buy food to feed and greet up to 40 people with a hot home-cooked meal in the Rochester Quaker Meeting House, Northgate, Rochester on Saturday afternoons. With any surplus funding used to purchase toiletries and underwear for their guests.
Jill Russell, Open House Rochester said, “We receive support from several churches and schools but if we hadn’t received this grant from Kent Community Foundation, it would have seriously reduced our ability to provide any of the small but important extras, such as socks and toiletries. As well as funding the hot meals, the grant also allowed us to buy packets of sandwiches for guests to take away after each session.”
The Open House Project was started by a Quaker in 2008. Staffed by volunteers, it runs every Saturday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm. The project offers a full cooked meal, sandwiches and drinks to about forty homeless and vulnerable guests, as well as sleeping bags, toiletries and warm clothing.
Natalie Smith, Interim Chief Executive and Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation said, “We were pleased to support the Open House Rochester project, which cares for some of the most vulnerable in our communities. The £4,000 they recently received was through the Richards Watts Charities’ Fund, one of the over 100 philanthropic funds we manage. From funds like these, we are able to support thousands of small charities and deserving causes where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.”
To contact Kent Community Foundation about funding for charities and community groups call 01303 814500, email admin@kentcf.org.uk or to learn more about the micro grants programme visit www.kentcf.org.uk/funding
About the Open House Project
The Open House Project is a charity which offers hot food, drinks and company to homeless or vulnerably housed people from across Medway. Soup kitchens open on Saturdays, 2-4pm Quaker Meeting House, Northgate, Rochester.
www.rochesterquakers.org.uk/open-house-project/
About Kent Community Foundation
Experienced grant-maker Kent Community Foundation is the organisation behind the organisations and has been finding, funding, and supporting some of the smallest voluntary groups in the county for over twenty three years. In this time, it has distributed almost £60 million to support thousands of small charities and deserving causes where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.
Kent Community Foundation is part of a UK wide accredited network of forty-seven Community Foundations who are committed to improving the lives of local people and communities, particularly the most vulnerable, isolated, and disadvantaged by matching those who want to help, with those who need the help.
Responsible for more than ninety philanthropic funds, Kent Community Foundation is unrivalled in its knowledge of local causes and assists individuals, families, and businesses who want to help, to establish and administer their own charitable funds.
Kent Community Foundation funding priorities –
- Children, Young People & Families
Supporting disadvantaged children and young people’s physical and mental health, encouraging positive choices and staying safe. - Vulnerable Adults
Helping those who may need extra care dealing with challenging issues or those at risk of social exclusion or discrimination.
3. Elderly and Isolated
Enabling elderly adults to stay well, healthy, independent and free from social isolation.
4. Employability, Skills & Enterprise
Creating opportunities to develop skills and confidence and have a positive impact in areas and groups of people with high unemployment.
5. Environment
Encouraging community action to improve and protect local spaces with support sustainable ways of living.
