Community Support
How we support the community
At East Belfast Mission we are here to change lives and our doors are open to anyone in need. Our Mission is to share hope, love and leadership in East Belfast and our vision is for a thriving, inclusive and confident East Belfast.
We aim to address difficulties and transform and renew our community by sharing the gospel in its widest sense. We offer a range of practical services to support those in our community who need our help.
Below you can find information about our various projects and our community crisis support.
If you need our support but aren’t sure where to turn please contact us.
Our Community Support Projects
Crisis Support
We are here to provide support if you are struggling financially to meet the basic needs of your family, including gas, electricity and food.
We can also provide support to help you ensure that you can continue to meet these needs in the long term.
If you are struggling with food or utilities please call without delay.
Community Fridge
Community fridges are a way to share food within a community, with the aim of reducing food insecurity. It allows people to pick up the food they need and donate when they can. It does not require referrals and there is no means testing.
East Belfast Mission's Community Fridge can be found in the Skainos Centre and you are welcome to visit us between 9am and 12 noon every weekday. Anyone is welcome and we never judge or ask questions. We can also refer you to our other services if you are struggling with mental health, employment, housing or family stress.
Food is donated to us by local businesses including Allied Bakeries, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and Life Hub NI. Our Community Fridge is generously funded by Whitemountain, Aughrim, Benefact and Co-Op.
Neighbours in need
Every year we give over 1,000 food hampers at Christmas to families and individuals living in poverty and disadvantage in our community. For many of these people this is a lifeline, particularly at this most expensive time of year.
For many people now it’s no longer a question of “heat or eat” but a struggle to manage either. We are here to change this at Christmas time!
“When you are delivering the hampers and you see their faces - that’s what it is all about. I remember once going to a house and the wee boy answered the door - he called his mummy and she took the hamper off me and set it in the living room and all I could hear from the other room was the wee boy saying “Oh look! Sweets and all! We’re going to eat today!”
– Neighbours In Need Volunteer