Back in 1969, Ralph McTell wrote and recorded the folk song, Streets of London. Evocative lyrics about the vulnerable people he’d often see in big cities like Paris and London. Over fifty years have passed and sadly, not much has changed, albeit that the sights he sang about are now more prevalent. Walk around any major city, or indeed our own town of Stafford, and you might see ‘the old girl carrying her home in two carrier bags’.
Today is World Homeless Day, and as a charity that supports the vulnerable and homeless in our community, we feel the imperative to shout out loudly and advocate for those who are on the fringes of society. It’s not a day to be celebrated but one to be soberly acknowledged. The reality of homelessness is stark, and unfortunately, the majority of people do not realise the scale, nor the implications, of our failure as a society to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home.
So today, we’re calling on you to join us in advocating for the vulnerable and homeless people in our country. We’ve put together a list of things that everyone can do to help solve the growing problem.
- Demand change. The UK government promised a strategy to end homelessness. Let’s hold them to account. Write to your local MP.
- Contact your Local Authority/MP and demand that social housing provision be their priority.
- Raise awareness of homelessness on social media platforms. Get everyone talking about it.
- Follow charities that support the homeless and share their content.
- Talk to your friends, colleagues and family about your concerns for the vulnerable and homeless.
- Volunteer at House of Bread or your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
- Donate to House of Bread and/or any of the other wonderful charities that do the same work we do.
- Fundraise for House of Bread. Whether you want to run a marathon or host a cake bake, funds are always needed to support the vulnerable and homeless.
- Come to our events and support us.
- Get your place of work to consider doing a Corporate Social Responsibility day with House of Bread.
- Most importantly, care about other people. Living on the street is lonely and frightening, many feel invisible and worthless as the general public passes by. This leads to serious mental health issues. Saying a few kind words to a homeless person can make a difference, however small, even a smile can help.