You see someone on the streets begging.
Do you:
Flick them some change and wonder if it will be used for drink or drugs?
Walk on because you don’t carry cash any more?
Do nothing, but wonder if you should have done something?
Wish you knew how to help in a meaningful way?
Well, this is where OxPAT (Oxford Poverty Action Trust) comes in. OxPAT has been running for over thirty years in Oxford. We’re a Registered Charity (no: 1070645). Thanks to a small corporate operating grant, we can, hand on heart, confirm that every penny you give us is distributed to front-line Homelessness Charities in Oxford every month. (That’s right – your hard-earned cash is NOT swallowed up by our overheads.) This, in turn, frees up staff on the front lines from fundraising and allows them to focus on actually helping those in need.
The current core agencies that we fund are:
We have a solution
Despite the problems, the charities engaged in supporting single homeless people in Oxford continue to do excellent work, and the Oxford Poverty Action Trust (OxPAT) continues to provide a mechanism for concerned citizens to donate to these local charities. Active since 1996, the Oxford Poverty Action Trust (OxPAT) has distributed almost £750,000 to support homeless people in Oxford, including £65,000 in 2020. We have done that by soliciting donations, which we then pass to other local charities that are doing good work to help the homeless. OxPAT has no staff or premises and very few costs.
Surveys show that over 70% of money donated directly to the homeless will be spent on drink or drugs. Giving money to OxPAT means that your donation will be channelled through professional charities. These charities have the resources to understand the problems a homeless person is suffering from. The charity can then help develop a plan to help the person to address those problems. The OxPAT money will be spent by the charity involved to directly benefit an individual or individuals. Typically, it will be spent on shelter, food, clothing, advice, medical care, and training to help people get a job.
