A scarf for the homeless

"many of us are just three poor life decisions away from being homeless."

I know.

Hi JanaNana - I have sent you a PM.

I used to do a lot of knitting for a Syrian charity but sending parcels to Turkey proved to be very expensive (£15 last time) so it seemed to be more sensible to donate money which the helpers can spend locally.

Knitting hats, scarves etc. and filling the shoeboxes for people here is a great idea imo if they can be taken to a local pick-up point.

Hi Danni,
I have an address for a charity that I knit for, it receives and distributes all kinds of knitted items within the UK and abroad, not just homeless people but for example refugees, homeless, women's refuges, elderly people and various others. You can donate all kind of knitted items which are gladly received and then they decide which cause to send to. The address is: Knit for Peace, Radius Works, Back Lane, London. NW3 1HL.

I also knit hats, scarves, etc for the Mission for Seafarers - must've done hundreds over the years, posting about 30 each time. I think there has only been one time when I've not received a thank you letter.
They've just recently changed their address, though. If you would like it, I can pass it on to you?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sorry, meant to say thank you to DanniRae and all who do exactly that in whatever way you are able.

Ask any ten year old child what they want to be when they grow up and I will guarantee not one of them will ever say they would like to be living homeless on the streets.

Being homeless is traumatic and dangerous and frightening. Homelessness is very complex and it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Seven hundred and twenty six people is the number of people (at a conservative estimate) who died homeless last year. And every one of them was someone's child, daughter, grandson, brother, mother, friend. Even if we don't like some of their actions, attitudes or lifestyle choices, surely we can demonstrate compassion and try to do our part to improve their lot in life.

I knit dog/cat blankets for Battersea dogs and cats home. I've done over 100 so far and I always get a thank you from them. PM me if you want a copy of the pattern and the address. X

That begs the question of what came first - the homelessness or the drugs, growstuff.

In so many cases it is the drugs that lead to relationship breakdowns, loss of home and a life on the streets is the consequence.
Although there are hostels and night shelters, most will not take anyone who is drug-dependent.

How long do you think you would last on the streets without trying something to keep you going.....be that alcohol or drugs?

Also of course, well done Danni ( I would like a multicoloured scarf myself....bring one to our meadow camp?)?

Nortsat46 and Gabriella yes, good points.Some sad cases, but all will not be helped, unfortunately.
Well done NanKate ?

Where? direct me to those bon mots?

Where are the salient points about the issue of homeless people?

GabriellaG54, at times you speak a lot of sense, not always appreciated by some.

Sorry, run it by me the points that are being made?

Gabriella makes several good points which add up to a PROBLEM compounded of financial instability not properly addressed by government, suppliers of addictive drugs, cheap alcohol, lack of social housing, inadequate mental health care, and inadequate opportunities for disadvantaged youths.

More minor considerations are lack of public toilets with washing facilities and attendant, public baths, and public venues such as libraries and youth clubs.

Petra, I'm sorry to hear you didn't get a thank you letter. In my local Seamans Mission, it is manned by volunteers - perhaps it is the same in your one?

if of machiness machines

There are many places for addicts, if indeed the owner of the bedding has an addiction of any kind.
There's a homeless shelter, a place called Acorn where you can access help of all kinds and a day centre plus at least two places which accommodate homeless people.
Many don't want help.
Windmill is a place where help is offered but it cannot, quite rightly, be forced on these persons. There are certain hoops to be jumped through but that's normal for most kinds of help, not just addiction problems.
There are also persons who do have 'homes' but choose to display placards indicating that they have no accomodation.

There was a TV programme showing several people, alcoholics and users if drugs,
some quite young in late teens twenties, who were offered flats and helped with furniture but sold it and defaulted on rent because they earned more by sleeping and 'begging' in car parks by the pay machiness.
They earned as much as £200 per day each and some were couples. They spent it on heroin and very occasionally sofa surfed.

Sad...but they just like the life they live.
Who'd employ them, scarred from injecting, no idea of normality?
You'd have to be very trusting...very trusting.
They have more friends on the street than not, therefore living without their 'mates' is something they cannot envisage.

Thanks everyone for your help
When it is finished I am going to post it the Whitechapel Mission - as suggested by crystaltips

How absolutely awful for any residents or shoppers in North Street, Guildford. They should not have to be subjected to the sight of wet duvets, cardboard, etc.

I also hope you tidied it all away?

I used to be a nurse and am accustomed to people defaecating in my presence. I'd feel ashamed to see this and know |I have a comfortable toilet with a wash basin and towels whenever i want. Where else can homeless people go? There are no public toilets and drug addicts and alkies or not it's not their fault they need to empty their bowels. I'd hate to have to live on the streets. Every local authority should at least provide a lockable pod per person with clean water and sewerage paid for by taxation.

I am troubled by the notion of deserving / undeserving homeless people, which a couple of posters have alluded to.

People living on the streets are in horrible situations, they don’t do it because they can manage their lives. They are invariably drug and/or alcohol dependant, trying to manage mental health issues and/or fleeing all kinds of threatening situations. Being cold, tired, hungry, frightened for significant periods of time exacerbates their inability to manage. This leads to behaviour that is outside of society’s norms but homeless people’s are living lives outside of society’s norms.

Nobody living on the streets is finding life easy and the notions of truly homeless vs some other version of homelessness shouldn’t apply.

Goodness that must have lowered the tone GabriellaG ???