Manager of Caernarfon hostel thanks locals for food and supplies lifeline

Sharon Thomas is team leader for homeless charity GISDA and runs the Hafan hostel in Caernarfon where she is supporting people currently living in the hostel, all aged 17 to 23, during the pandemic.

She and her team have been overwhelmed by the generosity of local people who have got in touch to drop off bags of food and toiletries for the hostel - including one selfless local pensioner who bought extra shopping for them.

Businesses have also been helping out, with staff from local cafes dropping off surplus as they have been closing amid the pandemic.

Sharon said it’s helped ease the burden for her team who are having to operate with fewer staff than usual as colleagues are self-isolating, while they support residents suffering increasing anxiety during the pandemic.

Mum-of-three Sharon, 44, from Llanrug, also helps manage GISDA’s six ‘move on’ flats in Caernarfon where people who were homeless are supported to live more independently.

The charity also has four single parent housing flats, and other accommodation in Caernarfon where people can stay after they move out of the care system, and a similar accommodation provision around its other base in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Sharon said: “It means a lot to your young people to know that people care and are looking out for them.

“They’ve had very tough lives that have brought them to this point.

“They are mostly quite vulnerable, some with mental health problems, ranging from anxiety and depression and it’s hard for them at the moment having to stay away from their friends.

“Usually they have come from broken homes, or have suffered a break down in the relationship with their family, so sometimes they have been on the streets or more often sofa surfing, and they might not be in touch with family members.”

She said: “It’s hard for them as they are on benefits so they have a very low income.

“The supermarkets are doing better now, but at first the panic buying was scary, we were thinking the food banks are getting low, and how are we going to get enough food while everyone is hoarding for themselves.

“The young people were struggling to shop as there wasn’t much food left on the shelves and they are on a limited budget so they couldn’t afford to buy what was left as all the basic supplies had gone.

“We don’t usually buy things for them but a couple of weeks ago I thought I had better go and get some basics to make up some emergency packs for them and I’m glad I did – even though people were looking at me with disgust thinking I was hoarding.”

“It was wonderful when people started getting in touch offering to give us supplies. It makes a huge difference to the young people here, and we just want to thank them all.

“If anyone wants to bring anything for us, it’s a lifeline.

“Simple things like pasta and packets of pasta sauces, simple food because it has to be things the young people can cook for themselves, as they don’t cook much.”

She thanked those who have already donated, including staff at the Ffowntan café at the National Slate Museum in Llanberis.

Sharon said: “They brought us all their left over supplies when they had to shut, and another lady from a café in Pwllheli got in touch to donate us a trays of lasagnes they were unable to sell.

“When the McDonalds shut in Caernarfon they brought over all their left-over milk and salad stuff and the staff the staff had personally collected some bags of tins and things to donate too which was lovely.”

“We had some local people get in touch too including one elderly lady who lives locally, and they had bought some extra things to drop off.

“People are so kind, we just want to thank everyone in the community for everything they have done to pass on the food to our young people.”

The Hafan hostel has been able to continue its usual collections of surplus food from the local Tesco in Caernarfon via the national Fareshare scheme which distributes surplus food to good causes including foodbanks, which some residents also use.

GISDA’s on Café GISDA on the Maes in Caernarfon is also closed and all surplus handed to young people being supported by the charity.

Staff at the Hafan hostel have switched their duties to put a focus on cleaning of communal areas, and supporting residents to stay well and healthy during the new challenges the pandemic has presented.

They are making sure all the residents are being regularly reminded to wash their hands, encouraging then to disinfect their rooms, and not to go outside unless essential, and to keep their social distance.

They have also been supporting the residents with coping with increased anxiety during the pandemic.

GISDA has worked with more than 2,000 vulnerable and homeless young people in the last five years, helping them find housing or hostel accommodation, as well as providing support with financial issues, mental health support, and life skills.

The pioneering charity supports up to 120 young people aged 16-25 at any one time. The Hafan hostel on South Road has eight rooms, currently full at capacity, as are GISDA’s other accommodations.

The residents are usually encouraged to buy most of their own shopping and cook for themselves, as part of the support they get with life skills to eventually be able to live independently.

Sharon is GISDA’s Team Leader for North Gwynedd. A former nursery nurse and crisis care home project worker for teenagers, she now looks after the hostel in Caernarfon.

Her daughter Lyndsey, 26, is GISDA’s business development manager, and another daughter is a nurse in Ysbyty Gwynedd, working in elderly care.

Sharon said: “We usually encourage them to live independently so they have to pay their utilities £12 a week to cover their phone, gas, electric and water.

“We do cooking sessions for them and usually we have asocial night at the café and a breakfast club but we’ve had to stop that because of Covid-19.

“It’s hard for them, they are used to going out and about to see their friends. Most of them don’t like talking on the phone so if they need something they usually just go to the place where they need it.

“Most of them haven’t gone through all of school

“Some of them are looking for work going to college so they can get qualification to go into the community, so they are devastated they can’t do that.

“Everything is upside down for them, They don’t see the key workers their routines are gone, the job centres are closed so they can’t just go in.”

“They are very vulnerable as they have all had to cope with homelessness, loneliness and the stigma surrounding them because they think people judge them because of their situation.

“Going out is a big part of their social lives too, so we are concerned about their mental health with the isolation in some of their flats people are alone and it is hard for them.

“Some of them started panicking when the pubs and clubs shut.

“We’ve explained to them can’t go out unless it’s essential and they are not allowed guests.

“We are contacting them every day on facetime and encouraging them to get exercise.

“We’ve gone through with them how to wash their hands and printed off the NHS advice and I’ve given them all their own individual soap so they don’t share soap.

“We’re encouraging them to clean their rooms with disinfectant.

“For the residents in the hostel at least they are together and can see each other, and we have a garden where they can help out too.

“Every time we see them we remind them that they have to keep their social distance. We just hope things improve soon so they can have a bit more of a normal life.”

Sian Tomos, Chief Executive Officer for GISDA said: “These are challenging times for all of us in our community.

“We are very grateful for all of our staff who are supporting one another, as well as our young people.

“Our priority is the health and wellbeing of our staff and the young people we support.

“We are all trying to do all we can to keep spirits up, including using social platforms such as Skype and Zoom to keep in touch with everyone.

“The way everyone’s pulled together over the past couple of weeks has been amazing, and we just want to thank everyone who is supporting us.”

Caption: GISDA team leader Sharon Thomas with donations.