In early 2022, the Michael Taylor Search & Selection team spent another rewarding morning supporting the less fortunate at the Whitechapel Mission.

The Whitechapel Mission has been serving the homeless and marginalised since 1876. Their services include a day centre, skills training, career advisory, activity programmes, and specialist support for complex needs. By encouraging each person to address the issues that caused their homelessness, the mission helps them gain the skills and confidence necessary to create lasting changes in their lives.

The mission welcomes the weary and in-need 365 days per year, knowing that the homeless do not get a day off from their situation, so nor should the places that assist them. The clients that walk through the doors are often in despair, and most are surviving on the streets of London. Some have been homeless for years, while others encounter homelessness for the first time after losing jobs or facing personal crises.

The hundreds of people served daily by the mission have nowhere else to turn for help. But through gifts of funds or time, donors and volunteers make it possible to assist these people in their times of need. Among the most remarkable aspects of the mission is that all of its good works are done without any public funding. 

The mission is based on the belief that everyone deserves a chance, regardless of background, race, or religion. Its service is open to all, without exception. This inspiring core value prompted the MTS&S team to volunteer their assistance. 

On the day the team donated their time, they arrived at Whitechapel at 5am and fortified themselves with strong coffee. They were then placed on breakfast duty, preparing the day's first meal for over 100 homeless Londoners. 

Team members reported that the experience was incredibly humbling and that it further opened their eyes to the mission's work to tackle poverty and how dire the homeless situation truly is in the city. 

It was not the first time the recruitment team volunteered with the mission, and it's a tradition they plan to continue as long as the mission will have them. 

To find out more about the work of the mission and the city's homelessness issues, please visit https://whitechapel.org.uk/