Abuse that homeless face...
FROM being threatened, shouted at and even having the fire brigade called out, a group of people taking part in a rough sleeping challenge in Loughborough got more than they bargained for.
The bunch of charity helpers lived as homeless around the town for a week to highlight the plight of others.
They took part in a rough sleeping challenge - staged independently from the charity - between February 4-8 to raise awareness of how hard it can be surviving on the streets.
Natasha Hall, Johtika Makwana, Martin Clark and Derek Krupinski, all who help out at Falcon Support Services in Loughborough, slept at various locations in the town each night, along with other volunteers joining in at various points - and they faced scenes that some homeless people face on a regular basis.
Johtika said: “Hooray! We have completed our four night rough sleep challenge - and it has been interesting in what homeless people go through on a daily basis.
“Firstly, we got woken by two drunk men assuming we were druggies and threatening to flatten the tent and throw us all in the canal.
“Secondly, we had a man shouting in our faces where we were sat promoting awareness in the town centre, saying homeless people have a choice to be on the street.
“Thirdly, someone called the fire
brigade while we were sitting round a small fire one evening as it was so cold we needed warming up.
“On the plus side, the public were supportive and kind in donating money which has helped us reach our target - so thank you.
“We plan to use the money to provide things to help the homeless have a better quality of life without judgement.”
Johtika said many of the local services were very supportive and it demonstrated how important they are in helping the homeless.
They praised Project 5000, Joseph’s Food Bank, Billy Bites, George’s Fish and Chip Shop, The Wellbeing Cafe and Beacon Church’s soup kitchen for all their support.
Johtika added: “Most of all, Jules Alexandra from the drop-in for believing in us, inspiring us and giving us the strength to carry on.
“So, people, next time you see a homeless person, please go and talk to them and find out why they are on the street.”
They raised £1,255 for the cause, and for more details of how they got on, visit https://bit.ly/2BabNVX