Terrye Teverson Visits Homeless Group Told to Quit Salvation Army Church

2.00.00pm GMT Mon 17th Mar 2008

Terrye Teverson visited Truro Homeless Action Group at the Salavation Army church in Kenwyn Street, Truro on Friday.

Terrye was contacted by Ann Boorman who organizes a drop in breakfast club at the Salvation Army Church.

Mrs Boorman said, "We cannot understand why the Salvation Army are asking us to close the doors to the homeless. There are no problems here and we just open for one hour from 8 am to 9am each day to provide these people with a hot meal."

Terrye Teverson commented, "I visited last Friday morning. Fourteen breakfasts were served to homeless people from around Truro. I chatted to most of the people who came along. Several I spoke to were local people from Newquay, Falmouth and Truro. One person had been a teacher before falling into these changed circumstances and he was now living in his car."

Terrye continued, "Ann and her dedicated band of volunteers cook a hot breakfast with food donated by various organizations. The chef brought in some free range eggs with him. One young man told me he had been in care at the age of eight and had never had a job. He would like to live a normal life but could not get onto the first rung to achieve that."

"Another person told me how annoyed they felt that other people in the town were saying they were drunkards. They felt they were all being lumped in together unfairly. A lot of drunkenness was young people going out at the weekends. The people I met were extremely grateful for the breakfast and arrived and left quietly and there was certainly no drunkenness or bad language used at all. I was most impressed with the quiet demeanor of all that turned up. In the cold and wet weather this breakfast is a key part of their day. The volunteers left the premises in pristine condition when the session finished."

Terrye also spoke to the church next door neighbour who said that their daughter had been given a Christmas present by members of THAG.

Terrye said that she would contact the Salvation Army as there did not seem to be any valid reason for ousting this volunteer group. Terrye understood that the Church had an elderly membership but the breakfast club ended at 9am and the Church could then be used for any further coffee mornings or clubs.

Mrs Teverson concluded, " I will also contact the Cathedral to see what can be done to save this volunteer group."