Having nothing to eat and no money to buy it with can make you feel quite desperate and willing to accept help from anyone who offers it to you. Most people genuinely want to help but it’s important to know that not everyone out there wants what’s best for you, and it’s important for you to stay safe. There may be somewhere like a local project in your area where you could go for food and support. Runaway Helpline can find that out for you. If you’re under 18 and away from home, social services has a duty to you to make sure that you are being cared for, and that includes having enough to eat and not going hungry.

If you are over 18 you may be entitled to benefits or an emergency payment from social services and Runaway Helpline can help you to talk to someone there about what your rights are and what you are entitled to. There may be somewhere local that can provide you with food in an emergency (like a soup kitchen or homeless shelter). What Runaway Helpline can’t do, though, is give you money to buy food.

There can be lots of reasons why you find yourself hungry and alone.  It may feel difficult to talk about why it’s happened. At Runaway Helpline we will never judge you. It doesn’t matter why you are in the position you are in – what matters is making sure you are somewhere safe, where you have enough to eat. You don’t deserve to go hungry.