Nightstop volunteers surveyed in a recent piece of research said that they gave young homeless people a bed for the night because of their Christian faith, with one respondent stating they were “responding to God’s generosity”.
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL), Nightstop is a same-night emergency accommodation service that links young people in crisis with trained volunteer hosts who accommodate them in their own home.
Sarah, who hosts with her husband Greg in Nottingham, said: “When we started Nightstop we wanted to play our part in changing outcomes for young people. We have a love for the young people that God has given us. That love is real. It is not a burden to us. We enjoy hosting.
Many of the volunteer hosts who took part in the research found that hosting through Nightstop had made them more open-minded and given them a greater understanding of the challenges facing young people.
Nightstop also surveyed young people who had been taken in by volunteers. More than a third (36%) said that if it weren’t for Nightstop they might have slept on the streets or in a park, with a quarter saying they would have slept on public transport or in a public building.
The research also found that more than 95 percent of young people who used the service felt that it had improved their personal safety.
Nicola Harwood, Depaul UK’s Associate Director for Prevention, said: “The remarkable hosts who open up their homes to a young person in need can make a long-lasting impact on their lives at a moment of genuine need.
Last year, Nightstop gave a safe place to stay to more than 1,400 young people, providing a total of 11,070 nights of accommodation across the UK.