Crisis Shift 5

As I cycled home this morning, I thought: "Blimey, this time last week, I'd just got home from Australia."

Shift 5 found me 'downstairs' in the centre, helping to run the awake areas, close most of them, encourage the guests to go to bed and talk to those who resisted. Some people got stroppy about the television being turned off, accusing the 'management' of treating them like children. We reached a compromise and the little band were happy bunnies again. Closing down some of the areas of the centre also involves getting them cleaned up for the next day, and filling the volunteers with the necessary enthusiasm for the job!

Due to the peculiar layout of the building we have and that I have been 'upstairs' most of the week to-date, I spent a lot time walking in the wrong direction and then having to re-trace my steps. Was funny when a guest pointed me the right way! Had some good conversations, this is one of the best bits of the whole thing. One guest I spoke to on the first night and having been keeping in touch with, came specifically to talk to me privately. He has to be in court (in fact he should have been by now as I type) as a witness and wanted to talk about how he felt about things. And you know, he said he wanted to talk to me because he trusts me. That was wonderful. He wasn't in the best shape as he left the centre this morning as he'd been stressing so much about it late into the night but, he was leaving early to make sure he got there in time. I hope he has been ok. I should be able to catch up with him if he's around tonight.

Only two shifts left.

Night night.