General Chat

When i opened the door on a bitterly cold morning there stood a young woman ,black swollen eye and cut lip, two frightened kiddies clinging to her coat. with all she owned in a carrier bag.
I sit with the old man who has been cast out by his daughter who cant be bothered with him ,and no he has not got a drink problem he is just old and in the way.
I am trying to console a teenager who has been abused for several years of her young life and has been sleeping on the street rather than endure the abuse any longer. I could go on and on.
These are examples of the homeless people that arrive at the centre, not wanting to be in this situation but are through no fault of their own. Somewhere near you there is a homeless centre where families like this are staying , so please give them a thought this Christmas . have a look round your house i bet you have unwanted gifts that you have recieved tucked away , why not wrap them up and take them to your local homeless centre
You could put a smile on someones face this christmas.
Someone has to care and make it their problem these people are like you or i. It could happen to anyone of us .

Shirley Ann

Thanks as always Shirley Ann for bringing this to our notice again.

If only others could see not the problem but the human that is suffering and in need.

And of course the thought that "there but by the grace of God go I"

It can happen to anyone at anytime.

Please help if you can.,

Linda :o)

During the course of our work we sometimes have to pick up food stock from retailers,remember the evaporated milk? Some or all of this generally goes to the local hostel for itinerant men, and I really don't know what happens to any homeless women locally.

I am more than happy to send the food there but I don't know about other things. Surely,if you are homeless,you don't want belongings which you have to transport and worry about.

What would I send to the shelter,other than food?I suppose soap and toothpaste are always needed but,please Shirley, what should we give?

That is a good question Sharron, it is not always easy to know what to give.

Ann
glos

My next door neighbour goes to a shelter to help out and I give her old towels and clothes especially socks, they always seem to be welcome.

Babara the things you donate are ideal.If anyone wants to donate items phone your local shelter and ask them if they are in need of the items you have to offer or what sort of items they are in need of as different places may cater for different age groups. the centre i run is for all ages, whole families etc. people who come to my centre stay with me usally until they are rehoused. Could be up to about 3months depending on their circumstances.
I am always grateful for anything that is donated to my residents, clothes toys etc. tinned food and basic food stuffs that help them when they first arrive as it takes time for benifits to get sorted so with out the stock of food i keep on standby some of my residents wouldnt eat for the first week. Im sure most centres will be glad of anything. but at Chistmas gifts are a nice thing to donate as most of these people wont get a present from anyone.

Shirley Ann.

Warm jumpers and coats never go a miss!! Ours also like bath goods like shower gels for people to use whilst there!

xx

Sharon as i said in earlier post check with your shelter some are just overnight shelters where people have to move on so warm clothing like socks, gloves, scarves , jumpers toothpaste also underwear. Like i said my centre is a place where people live for a few months then they are rehoused.
So you need to contact the centre near you to find out what they need.

Shirley Ann.

Think this thread deserves a Nudge to keep it on first page........love to you Shirley

Mau xxx

Shirley Ann. Bless you for what you do, I shall always try to help out as much as I can through out the year, and at Christmas time with some little gifts for them, to let them know that Father Christmas still delivers to homeless people!!
As I always say There But For The Grace Of God go any of us.
Lots of Love from Maisie xx

nudging as its for a good cause.

xxxx

We have a programme here called "out of the cold", 7 churches of varied denominations provide the space one night a week from october till the end of March, a warm evening meal, a mattress and blanket for the night and a hot breakfast in the am.
The one with which I am familiar, has an ongoing supply of personal bags, each with a towel, washcloth, toothbrush and paste, soap and shampoo. Each visitor is offered a bag. A local dry cleaner cleans the blankets after use, a local bakery donates breadstuffs, local restaurants provide food also. This time of year they are looking for warm hats,mitts, scarves. I bake a 6 dozen batch of muffins once a month to add to their breakfast supplies. They are grateful for anything which makes life easier or more comfortable. The same would apply to a homeless shelter.
One local church has taken this a step further and now provides a place to sleep, every night of the year. Volunteer counsell9ors are available with connections to all types of available treatment where needed. Even financial advice. There's also a free 'shop' where people can go to "buy" an outfit for a job interview or when starting a new job.Just some ideas which work here.
Mary

A teenager just turned 18 moved in to our squat, with her was her 15yr old mentally retarded pregnant sister. By xmas there was a baby to think of who's mother thought of her as a living doll. The babies aunty was also her half sister and was too afraid to go to the authorities or even to sign on in case the father found them. Working was difficult for her as she needed to be there for her sisters. So there was little chance of her finding her own home.

One thing she was grateful for was nappies, baby clothes, formula and even a few toys.
Her greatest joy was receiving a padlock with key so she could lock her room door in the squat and keep her possesion safe.


Edit: to say that this was many years ago but still shows the plight of the homeless

Hi Shirley,

I have found it really hard to track down my nearest shelters: I understand that women's shelters, for example, need to be kept safe, but I would love to donate and in fact I would like to volunteer at a shelter for the homeless.

Where do I look?

Thank-you xxx

Helen contact your local council they may be able to tell you if there is a centre in your area, also Social Services will know as they may have contact with some of the residents. social services may also beable to pass gifts on to womens refuge, as you know they wont give out the address of the Refuge for safety reasons. I hope this helps.

Maximary. Out of the cold project sounds great, such a shame its only for one night a week. but even one night is better than nothing it shows people care. Pity the local council has'nt provided a long stay centre for these people.

And last of all MAISIE my fairy godmother who has sent me goodies for my residents every Christmas since i put my first thread up , not only at Christmas
but throughout the year, you are such a lovely Lady, as you do so much for so many people. Now Mrs dont mail me and tell me off for telling people how lovely you are. (as you always do.)

And thank you all for all you do ,
every little bit helps

Shirley Ann

Uzzi in the sunshine, i have mailed you.

Shirley Ann.

nudge

Nudged

n

Can someone tell me why posts are deleted, i wish they wouldnt delete peoples posts on my thread, i have broad shoulders and i dont mind what people say.

Shirley Ann.