Just needed to be heard for a little while

Waves_and_Smiles

There is a man sleeping at the bus stop opposite my flat. He has a shopping trolley full of various bits of wood and plastic bags and is sleeping on newspapers. I sent WaSp over with a sandwich and a cup of tea for him and included a slice of cake. He reached up to shake WaSp's hand and thanked him. It is cold tonight and I wish that I could do more for him, while he drinks his tea I am going to look up homeless shelters in the area so that he can hopefully find one he can go to regularly for the winter.

I found the address of two shelters in this town and gave WaSp a hat and scarf he has never used to give to the man along with another sandwich and a bar of chocolate. I also donated a blanket! We told him that he could keep the mug the tea was in, for some reason I thought it might be nice to have your own mug when you have so little of anything else. He knew of one shelter but not the other. He shook WaSp's hand again and saluted him, I hope he is ok for the winter. If we see him again we will give him anything we have spare, he was very grateful. WaSp believes he is around 50-60 years old but it is hard to tell under his heavy beard.

I always try to help those without a home as you know from my story of B. I always think it could so easily be me if I slipped between the mental health care cracks, I have imagined myself in that position often enough. WaSp was homeless himself for a short while before he met me, we both have a lot of time for people without a roof over their heads. I feel very lucky tonight to have a little flat to call home and slightly guilty that I do have one.

geminilady

It is very sad that there are so many homeless in this country and I think it may get worse with all the government cuts.It was very kind of you to help and I am sure he will be grateful for the blanket and hot tea in this cold.Lets hope he manages to find a hostel soon although I think some have rules that you can only stop so many nights.

Waves_and_Smiles

Yes, one that I looked up had limited nights a month, the other didn't say. We have quite a few homeless people in this area, it is sad but I understand why hostels have a limit to make sure as many people as possible get the chance of a bed. He is cuddled up under his new to him blanket now and WaSp said he tucked away the second sandwich and chocolate so hopefully he will have breakfast at least. The poor man was sleeping with a jacket over him which isn't warm enough at all for November. I wish that there was more that I could do, it was so sweet when he saluted WaSp.

Pyxis

Hi WaS. Thank you for helping the man. I wonder, as he saluted, I wonder if he used to be a soldier? If so, there might be a forces welfare association that he could get help from.

Just found this one. http://www.soldiersoffthestreet.org

I liked the term 'dreich', too!


LIR, are you from t'other side of pond? And hence the Thanksgiving decorations? Not sure why you're not having turkey, though, 'cos you can normally get turkey all year round in one supermarket or another!)

Actually, have just googled Thanksgiving pheasant, and it's more widespread than I realised!

Pyxis

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lostinrates

Pyxis wrote: »

LIR, are you from t'other side of pond? And hence the Thanksgiving decorations? Not sure why you're not having turkey, though, 'cos you can normally get turkey all year round in one supermarket or another!)

Actually, have just googled Thanksgiving pheasant, and it's more widespread than I realised!

I'm a mongrel of lots different nationalities and I've lived in lots of places confusing my sense of identity even more! I'm not American, but do have American family ( my family is very confusing) and spent time there as a child.

Fir is the same. We both actively chose uk We celebrate all sorts of things, thanksgiving is something that's been Impossible because fir has simply never been able to get time off sine starting in London office. And it is for both of us, something that means something. Firs immeadieate family will be celebrating together in US where all but he and one sibling are living, I'll be thinking of another time and relatives no longer in my life, and cooking family food I love. But sometimes we'll just celebrate national mushroom week or whatever.

Waves_and_Smiles

That made me smile, LIR. I celebrate everything! I have been adding a new celebration yearly for a while now, I will have something for every month soon! We shall have some kind of Thanksgiving meal and then celebrate Yule, then 24th December for all of the people in Europe who celebrate then and finally Christmas day! We don't do anything big, just have some food typical of the occasion and read about the different traditions, perhaps decorate a little with relevant things. For Diwali we bought some sparklers and had enough left for bonfire night.

I was wondering that myself, Pyxis. If we see the man again I will pass on your link, thank you.

lostinrates

Russian Christmas date?

Waves_and_Smiles

Thank you LIR! January 7th! That shall be my new one for the coming year. I shall have to look up what the traditional meal is. On that note I am stuck on Yule, too. Yule Log, obviously and there are lots of dessert recipes online but I am having a problem finding main courses.

Pity poor WaSp. When I first met him he hated celebrating anything including his own birthday, I was completely the opposite. I think I have won him round over the years and he almost enjoys it now, particularly the helping me cook different foods to what we would usually have. He still manages to get the odd moan in, though.

lostinrates

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

Thank you LIR! January 7th! That shall be my new one for the coming year. I shall have to look up what the traditional meal is. On that note I am stuck on Yule, too. Yule Log, obviously and there are lots of dessert recipes online but I am having a problem finding main courses.

I'd consider making a yellow soup or risotto ......in a culinary call for longer days.



In Italy on the 6 th of January is when children get their Christmas gifts, and not from Father Christmas, but from la befana....a sort of Christmas witch.....an old lady flying on a broomstick.