OpSafeWinter Newcastle UK
Donation protected
I recently moved to Newcastle, UK as a university student. Since then I have come across people on the streets almost daily. Most of them are struggling to obtain warm clothes and blankets, and with winter well on it's way I decided to do whatever I could to help these guys out. I can provide food and drink from my own kitchen and donations from allotment owners, but I can't afford to buy warm clothing on my own. My spare time is limited so finding free clothes is proving difficult.
Based on rough estimates, £40-50 would bring one person boots, socks, gloves, a scarf, a hat, a jumper/jacket, a fleece blanket and other small things like basic sanitary products, maybe more if sales are on or if I find enough of these things from charity shops.
Just a small story that influenced my desire to help these people: I once brought a guy a pasty from a Baker shop and a drink, and decided to give him some company for half an hour. I sat beside him and we chatted about his life previous to being on the street and how he ended up there. In that entire half hour, I'd guess around 2-3000 people walked past us, in the middle of a main shopping high street. The amount of verbal abuse, mockery, and plain ignorance he received in that small amount of time shocked me. Only 4 people tossed a few coins into his hat. It wasn't even enough for a cup of coffee.
I want to bring these people an early Christmas gift that could well save their lives with the amount of snow we have forecast in the months ahead. I want to restore their faith in humanity. Consumerism is rife here like any city, and the contrast between the money being spent on material things up and down these streets and the lack of a warm night's sleep these people struggle with is painful to see.
Whether or not this fund reaches its goal; if I can help even one man or woman to sleep a little easier this winter I'll feel like a real goal has been achieved.
Organizer
Mat
Organizer
