St Giles at Christmas: Will You Be Tilly’s Hero?

This Christmas we are highlighting the importance of supporting children and families through our Pantry Network. We want to share with you the powerful and touching story of Tilly and her mum, Helen. After being made redundant in 2023, Helen struggled to find work. She quickly found herself in debt and unable to feed herself and her daughter, Tilly, often going without meals.

“It was a really tough time for Mum and me. We used to bake cakes together and I’d help to make dinner sometimes. Now when I asked her what she was going to eat, she’d say she wasn’t hungry, and sometimes I didn’t see her eat all day.”

Helen also faced challenges with her mental and physical health, often leaving Tilly to scour the bare cupboards for anything to eat for dinner.

In just 6 months with St Giles’ Pantry, Helen had found a training opportunity and secured a paid Teaching Assistant role. Their caseworker helped Tilly access counselling, so she could process what she’d been through. Most importantly, Helen is now able to provide healthy food for her family so Tilly never has to search bare cupboards for dinner again. 

“I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t found St Giles when I did. I felt like such a bad mum – I couldn’t feed my child three square meals a day, let alone make sure she was getting enough fruit and veg.”

Across the UK we have 9 Pantries offering low-cost, fresh and nutritious food as well as providing wrap-around support in housing, employment and debt advice to ensure families have a sustainable route out of poverty. 

Ways You Can Get Involved This Christmas

• Donate what you can 
  • As little as £5 can help a family get access to a pantry full of fresh food. 
• Sign up to our mailing list 
  • Hear firsthand from people turning their pasts into futures 
  • Receive updates on the impact St Giles makes thanks to your support 
• Buy a St Giles & IRUSU winter candle at our market stall 
  • Where: Hay’s Galleria’s Winter By The River 
  • When: between December 2nd and 8th, 11 am until late 
• Share Tilly’s story with your friends and loved ones.