Another Open Christmas Over

Long post warning!!!

Phew

I believe I said something about being knackered earlier in the week. That day ended with me retiring to bed shortly after blogging and being woken with a cup of coffee at 7.45pm!!! Who is it says that thing about listening to your body???

It's been a funny ol' week. I've spent most of it outside, in the cold looking after The Gate. In fact, I did only three other 'shifts' (sessions of about an hour-hourandahalf) apart from Gate - fire duty next to fire escape; teas and coffees; and 'gap' duty where you 'guard' the entrance to the volunteers' room. We had a really successful shelter. The guests could get a good sleep each night without being disturbed (except for the toaster and fire alarm incident...) or feeling threatened. This meant they could then make the most of what was going on each day - using the advice and support services, getting medical attention or a haircut, new clothes etc, being creative, learning IT skills and so on. What it meant for me was that I got to know more volunteers than guests! We always work in pairs at least and so I provided the entertainment for people on the Gate, keeping them awake and not noticing how cold it was. I became an expert on cloud formations, weather trends and if it was colder or warmer now than (a) earlier in the shift (b) the previous shift (c) any time I could think of since losing sensation in my toes.

Highlights of the week:

Arriving on Xmas Day to take over from afternoon shift to find everyone playing board games. The most unlikely 'lads' sitting around playing monopoly or scrabble or cards or doing a jigsaw. It was like one huge family sitting around after the turkey and Queen's speech. But without the arguments. Just amazing.

There was a chess tournament.

The respect amongst the guests - for each other and the volunteers. Smoking is an issue at times and drug use is not allowed. So we had people coming outside into the cold to 'smoke'. And the group dynamic amongst the guests was such that they actually rounded on anyone who tried to do the wrong thing. Alcohol in the shelter is a no no too and we had absolutely zero incidents of people trying to smuggle any in.

The guests are also incredibly protective of the volunteers. On the penultimate night, our chef (a magician I'm sure) took the only huge cooking pot he had outside to try and dislodge the lid that had stuck inside. He thwacked it on the ground, making a bit of noise. The guests who were outside just around the corner rushed back to see that we volunteers on the gate were ok, they were ready to sort out any trouble for us!

The genuine smiles on people's faces when you've done something really small for them. Like finally finding out that one chap was an expert on cricket and seeing how animated and interested he suddenly became.

Lowlights:

Seeing how upset and frustrated one chap was this morning when he found out that despite all the efforts of our advice and support teams he still wasn't able to get any housing of any description, even temporarily. "I'm not a drug user, I don't drink, I'm not pregnant, I'm not disabled, I'm single and male I'm not entitled to anything."

Sitting on the 'gap' duty, I surveyed the scene of people settling down for the night. I got upset. Then I got angry. We were pleased with ourselves for providing a peaceful, safe and calm environment for the guests. Great. But, fekkit. Why is it acceptable to have people bedding down on campbeds or the floor in a communal setting, with no privacy, and that's only for one week of the year? Where's the achievement in that? These people have dignity and souls. They should have somewhere to live like you and I. Not exist. Not move into a disused office building or entertainment arena and be grateful.

Homelessness is not the problem. Society is the problem. Homelessness is but a symptom of other things. A vulnerable young man, who 'lives' in a squat, told me he was used to being beaten up - by his father, stepfather and anyone who wanted to steal what little he has. This chap's benefits had been stopped because he was unable to comply with the requirements of The System. What a great idea. If you don't do what we tell you, we'll take your money away. We won't try to work out what's right for you as an individual and help you go forward.

It rained for the first time all week this morning. As the guests had to leave. To go back to wherever they spend their time for the other 51 weeks.


Oh, you can donate to Crisis through my sponsorship link.