Help the Homeless this Winter

Hi our names are James and Claire.

We were out in Chester late afternoon doing some early Christmas shopping and we came across Richard. He was sat in a doorway on Watergate Street, he wished us both a nice day as we walked by. We stopped and spoke to him and he told us how he had a tough time, ex military, struggling with PTSD, no children and both parents have both passed. He elaborated on how he finds these Winter evenings unbearable but his dog helps him through. We spoke to him for about 10 minutes but we couldn’t stop thinking about him after discussing his past and his unfortunate time. So we bought him a large tea and cake from Costa.

We felt compelled to give him some joy and thought if we go back he could be there again and we could give him some things to make his situation a little easier.

We then did some research on Chester Aid to the Homeless ( CATH ) and The Wallich, St Johns House in Wrexham. They are busier than ever with unparalleled numbers of people. An average quarter of the year with 2155 visits.

What if we could help many people in tough situations like Richard.

We thought we would come together using our business resources JCR Civils & Groundworks and Claire Michelle Clinic and raise £500 each towards this, £1000 has got us 31bags

We will be handing these bags to the homeless in North Wales and Cheshire. This will also give them information of their next step if they wanted it to local shelters and further help.

The package each includes:

Thermal Hat and Gloves- £6

Rain Poncho- £5

Thermal Socks- £2

Costa Voucher- £10

Draw String Bag- £1

Dog Treats- £2

Roll-on Deodorant - £2.50

Travel toothbrush/ Toothpaste- £2

Leaflet with their next step, local shelters and helpline

With more donations we can provide more of these bags or sleeping bags/ tents that are desperately needed.

So this £1000 we have put together will provide 31 homeless people with all the above. We are asking if you would like to donate towards this so we can reach more people like Richard. Not everyone’s story is the same but we all deserve a chance and help.

The thought of knowing we did some good this Winter fills us with joy. And we hope you can feel the same by donating any amount that you can afford, it all helps us on this journey that we have set out on.

We understand that this is a very small contribution in the grand scheme of homelessness but every little helps and if we can take a positive step forward helping with this problem then we intend to do so.

In the 21st century this shouldn’t be a problem but unfortunately due to the rising cost of living and lack of support we are seeing rising numbers of homeless people on our streets.

Thank you for reading and helping