You can sign the petition by clicking here.
If you look closely you'll just peak the 'Kindness Kills' Campaign poster on the shop window behind Adam. Adam has chosen to sell the free local magazine offered to him by a kind publisher with a heart to help the local homeless - tomorrow I will post details of the "NerveMeter" magazine and it's philosophy
Adam became homeless when he was 16 and walked out of his family home. Ever since he has been facing the rough end of sleeping rough. He has had experience of 4 facilities within the Bournemouth homeless sheltering programs - which he briefly shared with me.
He has stayed in Fortuna, Robert Gabriel, Harbour and most recently the YMCA. His experiences have been varied - some of them have been "too intrusive" wanting to put tabs on his movements and gather copious amounts of information daily. Some have been the opposite "hardly engaging" at all. Like so many the YMCA have recently turned him away on moral principle.
Whatever the journey, Adam finds himself amongst the homeless at a young age - without strong prospects of a permanent solution - waiting lists are too long and too abstract for present needs.
I asked Adam what provisions are most needed by the homeless on a daily support basis - since I am considering fund-raising for the Winter if attempts to re-open the shelter fail. He listed:
Sleeping Bags/bedding
Tents
Clothing - socks & pants
Toiletries
Small Drinks Flasks
And a rare someone prepared to offer a little free hot or cold water top up.
He showed me a nearly empty drinking water bottle in need of re-filling and testified that it's incredibly hard to find a facility willing to allow him to replenish with fresh water.
We need to re-open the homeless night shelter for £3 per night
You can sign my petition by clicking here.
Hi CUTDBULL, its anastasia here, I run street light Bournemouth a soup kitchen/ outreach team etc and we do as much as we can for the homeless. I love this blog, sean / mumble gave it to me and I signed your petition. I would like to share some of these stories on my soup kitchens facebook page and share your petition, would you mind ?
ReplyDeleteHi Anastasia - I would be honoured for you to share the blog to facebook etc. my aim is to highlight that the homeless are like you and me - they've just hit hard times and are in a crisis. The humane response is to offer support not to demon-ise them.
DeleteThanks for signing the petition - there are also some hard copies circulating Bournemouth via the homeless themselves - especially Hayden & Ron near New Look and Vodaphone and via Sean - who floats!