Helping the homeless
at Christmas and
throughout the year
at Christmas and
throughout the year
|
|
at Christmas and throughout the year |
Some of our volunteers would like to share their experience of our work:
|
A cold winters day... Christmas Day to be exact when I made my way to Caring at Christmas for my first shift - 7 AM start it was! I haven't been up for a 7 am start on Christmas Day since I was 10! Nonetheless here I was making the hours journey from Warminster to Bristol. It was a great journey actually... I just followed the moon, which was very bright that night, all the way to the shelter.I had no idea what to expect or what I would do when I got there. All I knew was I had wanted to do this ever since friends volunteered at the very first year of Crisis at Christmas in London, but the opportunity didn't present itself. Or should I say I didn't go looking for ... that was until October last year when my friend Linda, who volunteers at the Coffee Shop Drop in Centre, told me about it. So here I was a donning a white plastic apron, rubber gloves and picking my way between the beds of sleepy inhabitants picking up litter and handing out cigarettes in an attempt to speed up the getting up process because guests weren't allowed to smoke in bed. It was a lovely way to spend Christmas morning. Seeing people wake up from what was probably their first good nights rest in ages (the shelter opened on Christmas Eve) and heading for breakfast of was humbling because it was so normal... yet of course it wasn't, as it was probably the first good nights sleep guests had had in a while. That 'dorm' shift was pretty hectic which includes cleaning, changing beds and getting the dormitory ready for dispatch of clothes and other items. The night shift, by contrast, was very relaxed and chilled. Apart from making tea, coffee and lots of sandwiches there was plenty of opportunity to spend time with guests who didn't seem to sleep at all! I learned to play Black Jack, 2s & 8s, and Sod off you Bastard (although I don't think that was the real name of the card game which I never did get the hang of). I had a great time, learned lots and will definitely do it again... if they'll have me. Jazz Back to top of page. |
... behind the scenes...This year I found myself volunteering before the event itself. There is a large amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to prepare for the guests. My small contribution was in helping receive the numerous gifts of food and clothing which had to be sorted. Believe it or not quite a large amount of clothing is rejected partly because the guests would not want to use it. This clothing we have to take elsewhere. Food has to be sorted and one of the most important things is to make sure that none is past its "sell-by date". You will be surprised to know that a lot of the donations of food are past their "sell-by dates". None of this is used and has to be discarded. I found myself sorting blankets. The number is vast and I have no clue where they come from. (I was around clearing up after the last guest left and there were a very great number of blankets that simply would have had to be discarded.*) One of the more or interesting tasks was to collect money outside Morrison's at Cribbs Causeway. My perception was that at least 20 % of the people who went past not only gave but seemed to be very keen so to do. Presumably one of the reasons that people do give is that there is such a close connection between the money that they give and it being used immediately for the benefit of those who come to the shelter a few days thereafter. I also attended a volunteer session in January and I was very impressed by the format of the evening and how those that run Caring were able to find out what the concerns of the volunteers were and to give them a sense of involvement. It was a very worthwhile session. *[They are actually washed and put back in the blanket store for the Julian Trust to use throughout the year.Ed] Back to top of page. |
A first time volunteerThis was the first year I had had an opportunity to put in some time at caring, and despite attending all the volunteer sessions was still a bit iffy about what lay ahead. Need I have worried? no. The whole organisation is so smooth that it just flows, the support you get from the staff and supervisors is brilliant and once the shift gets moving you don't really have the luxury of wondering whether you are doing all right, you just roll up your sleeves and keep one ear on the supervisor. And what happened, well the first introduction to the kitchen was washing up, [hands that judicious] onto veg prep [soddit, where are the plasters?] and finally onto the range [my word!!, that's rather hot] The whole experience was a complete eye opener and very, very enjoyable, the people you'll meet are from all sorts of backgrounds, and it doesn't really matter whether you work for 5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days it will touch you. Jim Back to top of page. |
... eye opener...At the beginning of each shift there are always some thoughts and concerns about the tasks ahead. Concerns such as "Will we get it right for the guests? What if this or that happens?" But once the shift starts these disappear rapidly. We are all immediately working and meeting the problems head on. One of the great pleasures for me was the obvious pleasure the new volunteers were getting from doing their tasks and the experienced volunteers using their experience from previous years.
Their hard work was reflected in the comments by the guests: Working at Caring at Christmas is the best investment of time I can think of. Can't think of a better way to spend Christmas. Back to top of page. |
... coming back for more...This year was my second year as a volunteer with Caring at Christmas and the first year for me as a shift supervisor. I was asked to describe this experience and it has been difficult to find the words to do that. The feelings I have had have been extreme emotional contradictions; Both years I have felt fear and trepidation before volunteering. The question - what have I got myself into?- was particularly haunting me after agreeing to be a supervisor this year. I was simultaneously excited and terrified by the prospect that from 11pm to 7.40 (when the morning shift volunteers arrive) I would have to have all the answers! In reality it is a team effort and I happened to have the best volunteer teams ever! Together we negotiated our way through the challenges of each of the nights thankfully without any serious incidents. The best bit for me is, I love spending time with our guests. Although, it fills me with gut-twisting sadness and worry when I realise time and again that the only thing that separates me from their situation is luck. Also I feel utter respect and admiration that despite the dreadful circumstances guests have found themselves in they are surviving and struggling to change these circumstances for the better. The enormous task of getting out of homelessness demands every scrap of hope, self-belief and strength that an individual possesses. It never ceases to amaze me that people do manage to cope with the worst possible situations and still come up fighting. I wonder if I would have the courage to carry on if I were walking in their shoes. This is why working at the shelter is such a privilege for me. I know I get more from the experience than I could ever contribute. I have met many people who I will never forget and some who will continue to inspire me long after the shelter has closed. Frankly I can think of no better way to spend Christmas than with my makeshift family at Caring @ Christmas. The sense of satisfaction volunteering gives me lasts well into the new year. Back to top of page. |
| The challenge of our task remains as great as ever... |
| © 2001 theMetaProject & Caring at Christmas - Caring at Christmas registered charity no: 900161 |
| Contact: webmaster Caring at Christmas |