I wish there was an answer

[Daisy]

I caught a short news item on tv today. It was about a camp for asylum seekers in Greece. There were 6 times the number of people there the camp should have accommodated. The conditions were too disgusting to describe, but included no running water. The camera followed someone down a 'road' crammed with makeshift tents and other temporary dwellings and as it passed one hovel you could hear a baby crying. Inside was a tiny baby cradled by his young mum, and sobbing his little heart out. The family had nothing and were trying to re-cook food that had been handed out earlier to make it more palatable - it looked like chicken, just one of the many health and hygiene horrors all the inhabitants were facing.

I glanced through into our dining room, where OH had finished wrapping the last of the Christmas presents and saw all the Santa bags overflowing with toys, treats and luxuries.

I don't know the rights and wrongs of this refuge crisis, but how in the name of humanity can human beings see little children existing like this.

[Grauntie Mag]

I don’t know Daisy, I really don’t. I dare say that area is avoided and therefore it ‘doesn’t exist’. Heart breaking.

[Mimi]

Daisy we are extremely fortunate that we have such luxuries that some can only dream of.
It is so sad

[Clover]

Daisy I often have similar thoughts when I walk down the aisles in a supermarket. I look at all the food,all the choice,all the unnecessary items and think about the millions of people who don’t have anything to eat.It’s a cruel world sometimes.

[Oma]

A cruel world indeed, but what is the answer ?

[Daisy]

Oma - I really don't know. I think we as humans are alone in the animal world for the level of cruelty and greed we have.

[ZIZI]

There is no right or wrong answer but as we know in lot of cases people are leaving their homes in the hope of a better life because of war and despicable behaviour by others. If that could be controlled, which I know is an impossibility, then maybe these situations would not arise as much. There are a lot of rough sleepers who are refugees in London. As you know I work with homeless charities. I often wonder how much better off they are rough sleeping in London or living in some of the dire hostels than in their home countries. Most of them, it has to be said, are young men and the majority have limited English further hampering their cause.

[Gemini]

Sadly, there probably is no answer.
I think almost all of us , who are so fortunate in having 'things' and having the right to live freely and safely and knowing our families have the same right, have thoughts about the unfairness of life.
These things are unbearable to think about really

[Oma]

Next year we have decided that instead of Christmas cards we will be donating money to the village hall in our village ,
Each year they open their doors to the homeless and lonely on Christmas day , no matter if they live in the area or not ,
They get a lot of food donated but they need cash to provide little gifts ,
I do feel for all the people who are TRUE refugees but we have a lot of our own people in need too ,

We also have a women's refuge that are always crying out for toiletries and feminine care stuff so we will donate there too
Its only a small gesture but every little bit helps I hope

[Enfys]

This struck a chord with me too. This country has now so many rough sleepers, some are refugees but many are our own country men. I think of them these cold and wet nights and count ourselves very blessed indeed to have a warm bed and a roof over our heads. What’s the answer? I really don’t know....I think donating money doesn’t always help, the problem goes much deeper. I have in the past bought a goat for a family, thinking that would be more long term help.

The sad thing is, I remember as a very young child collecting money at Sunday school for the “poor children in Africa”. I even wanted to send my dinner to them when I was told they didn’t have enough to eat.......and so the problem goes on...and on...and on.

[ZIZI]

I regularly arrange donations for homeless charities and food banks through work. There is a lot that can be done but often there is a perception that these people have caused their own downfall and also, as I know personally*, that they are on the wrong side of the law. In London there are several charities which give homes, albeit only bedsits, to former service people (mostly male). There are also across the country communities called St Emmaus (and others I know, but I work with Emmaus) where the clients or guests as they are called are given board and lodging in return for working in the community they have made be it gardening, working in the secondhand shop, upcycling donated furniture etc. That way they have an address to claim job seekers allowance from and it gives them a chance to start anew. They do not lose their job seekers allowance when working in their community as they are always available for paid work or interviews. If they do get a job they are fully supported until they are on their feet and in many cases long after.

*one of my sites a few years ago had a “Ready for Work” client on a two week job placement and the person assigned to look after him sent an email to the whole site the week before he started and copied me in. It said that a homeless person was coming to work for two weeks and that everyone should ensure that all valuables and phones etc. should be kept out of sight and secure. In those days we did not run training for “buddies” to the clients. I was horrified. Completely against all the rules to deliberately identify the client so publicly and certainly against the rules to assume they would be stealing at the earliest opportunity. Many clients have underlying issues such as with mental health etc. and there are also a lot of ex-offenders.

There are lots of charities helping helping refugee families as well although I sometimes wonder if the amount of help given to those families is matched by the amount of help given to “home grown” families.

Sorry to go on about it but it is a field I have worked in through my “day job” for some time and I have seen and experienced a lot.

[Daisy]

Homelessness is something that concerns me a lot as well. It only takes a few bits of bad luck for someone to find themselves out on the streets with nowhere to go, and it's a long and difficult road back once you're there.

One very neglected and vulnerable group of people is youngsters between the ages of 16 and 18 - too old for Children's services, but adult services aren't interested as they're minors. Once they're out of the streets it's almost impossible for them to keep up with their studies, with friends or anything. They're also often victims of abuse and the world seems stacked against them.

I know it seems sometimes that the little we can do to help is too small to make a idfference, but I remember one day buying a Big Issue from a seller in Southampton. It was a horrible damp grey day and I commented on his beaming smile. He'd just been allocated a flat - his first proper home in many years. That smile has stayed with me - he was so happy and so looking forward to the future.

Enfys - I don't know what the charity is, but there's one in Bournemouth which has been collecting old people's unwanted duvets to give out to rough sleepers in this cold weather. I thought that was a good idea - not a solution but perhaps making it just a bit more bearable.

Zizi - I've heard of St Emmaus - an idea that could be copied by other charities, I'm sure.

[Shemadee]

DD2 volunteers every year at a lunch in Leeds supported by

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lemn+sissay&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB619GB619&oq=lem&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0j5j69i60l2.3353j0j8&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

This is for youngsters who have been in care and have no family support. As well as the lunch each person is given a gift.

[ZIZI]

When I was training for my collaboration with BITC for the homeless project their description of some people who are homeless was to imagine a table. If one leg falls off = unemployment the table will stand, second leg falls off = relationship break down table may still stand. Third leg = person having to leave home because of relationship breakdown which means the table will fall.

I have worked over the years with many people including ex offenders, serving offenders, those with mental health or addiction problems. It has not always been easy and there have been times when I have been in despair. Young people leaving local authority care are, generally speaking, put into hostels (maybe not everywhere But the ones I have worked with have) and have received no real guidance on how to behave in the workplace or pick themselves up and start a new (hopefully better) life.

The severing of my company’s tie with the homelessness project has made me feel quite strongly that it is something I would like to get involved with in a personal way rather than as a community liaison manager being paid to do so. I know that it is a cost cutting exercise because of the situation my company is in but I am quite cross about it.

[Daisy]

Christmas is over and many of the charities that provide temporary help will be signing off for another year. I can't help thinking about all those people who have benefitted from their help are now back on the streets to fend as best they can.