MPs help Westminster homeless for unique Mitzvah Day project

Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs wrote Christmas cards and packed bags of warm clothing and toiletries for the homeless in Westminster, as part of a special Mitzvah Day project held inside the House of Commons.

The Parliamentarians – who included MPs Alex Sobel, Bob Blackman, Catherine West, Charlotte Nichols, Christian Wakeford, Christine Jardine, Dame Margaret Hodge, George Howarth, Jonathan Djanogly, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Peter Bottomley, Tan Dhesi and Tulip Siddiq – were supporting homeless charity The Passage.

Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Kilburn, has taken part in numerous interfaith Mitzvah Day projects and events through the years.

“I think Mitzvah Day really shows the best of our faith communities. The best thing is that it isn’t constrained to just one community. Every time I’ve been involved – whether it’s cooking for the homeless or collecting for a food bank – I’ve seen people of all faiths and ages come together. I just can’t rave about it enough,” she said.

Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East, is another long-term Mitzvah Day supporter.

“Mitzvah Day is all about coming together to assist those less well off than ourselves and contribute to society – as we did for The Passage today,” Blackman said.

The event was organised by Mitzvah Day along with the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Jews. Attendees included Mitzvah Day CEO Stuart Diamond and chair Laura Marks OBE, as well as Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl.

The event in Parliament was hosted by Dame Margaret Hodge who said “we got together today to support Mitzvah Day and recognise the importance of the work done by Britain’s faith community to promote a loving attitude and help those in society who desperately need it.”