No Room at the Inn (or anywhere)

I tend to donate my time and/or talents most of the year by knitting for homeless/soldiers/sailors/women's refuge/premmie babies but always drop a monetary gift in the Sally Army tin at Christmas rather than agree to regular direct debit donations.

Merry Christmas to all, however you spend it.

We make up shoe boxes full of gifts for the Sally Army, boxes contain useful stuff like soap, toothbrushes etc but also small gifts.  At our district scout carol service all the children take toys they no longer use and donate them to the Sally Army.

One of my nieces is going to serve Christmas dinner to the homeless on Christmas Day 

I was twice in Northumberland street in Newcastle recently over the Christmas build up, (that's one of the main streets with the famous Christmas shop display) and it was full of shoppers laden with their bags.

There was  three homeless men in their sleeping bags. I tried but I couldn't imagine what they must be feeling and thinking looking around them. I read somewhere that on of the worse things (and there must be many) is that they get ignored and go without any conversation or contact. I actually rarely have cash on me nowadays so I bought a Gregg's bacon roll and hot drink for each of them and had a little chat with all them all. I just don't realise how lucky I am I suppose.

How there are people who have to sleep rough in 2019 is beyond me, I wouldn't mind some sort of scheme that took an extra few pounds out of my income just for them.

well done to her Oneputt, that is true charity. Giving up money is one thing but sometimes to give up one's time is far far harder, especially on Christmas day. 

Then there is also >streetlink<

peedee

You have my respect. Well done.👍

Spoke to a couple of rough sleepers outside the Brompton Oratory yesterday and told them of a freebie hot lunch being laid on by Holy Trinity Brompton( my daughter's church) around the corner. They didn't seem that fussed. Sometimes you can't help people.

When I was at my youngest daughter's on 20th Dec she had received a charity hamper, totally unexpected. Looking at the very useful contents they must have been valued at over £30. She is a low income single mum with two kiddies. 

She had reboxed them into two hampers and added a few things to give to two families that she knows are struggling. Given her own circumstances I thought that very kind.

The problem is now that xmas is over ,the vast majority of people will forget about the homeless and get on with their normal lives 

I think a lot of charities raise quite a bit of money at this time of year which helps cushion their funds so they can carry on their work through the year.

David