I don’t know about you, but I have had some real stressful days this festive period. Working, shopping. cooking all the customers Christmas dinner. There’s nothing I love more on busy day’s at work, than coming home, having a nice long bath, then putting my dressing gown on and watching TV while eating rubbish.

So imagine if you didn’t have a home. Imagine if you hadn’t had a bath for as long as you could remember. Imagine sleeping rough, in the bitter cold. All things we take for granted. Unfortunately, according to http://www.crisis.org.uk since 2010 ALL forms of homelessness are on the rise.

Homelessness can hit anyone, and all it can take is a small number of incredibly unfortunate events to put people in the situation where they are sleeping on the streets. David’s story, from the Crisis website is one such example:

David’s story

”David had everything he could want not so long ago: a job, a family, a home of his own. But his marriage collapsed, and in a matter of months he found himself sleeping in a bin shelter outside a block of flats. He’d lost everything, and was too ashamed to see his children. Now the bitter weather had set in, and he feared he didn’t have the strength to make it through the winter.”

– See more at: http://community.crisis.org.uk/christmasdonation?gclid=CjwKEAiA_NmkBRCe3ubC1aWAtEcSJACxkkbquWP3K0e-WpeA_OI_IGMvW5ZSuLotR6V-rxBNHajBWRoC4lDw_wcB#sthash.xZKgCFuy.dpuf

Luckily, the bigger homeless charities do not seem to be short on people donating or volunteering around the festive period. While the work of these charities is absolutely essential to eradicating the problem for good, sometimes the helping hand can take a while to filter down to ground level.

In my home town, Basildon, we have quite a well known homeless man who resides in the town centre. Unluckily, not having a permanent address has hindered him no end in trying to get a job or at least benefits to tide him over until he finds work.

While he gets help in dribs and drabs, like people buying food or giving him some spare change, which is great for day to day living, there is no long term future for him to look forward to.

One woman has selflessly stepped forward to change all of this, by starting a Facbook group that has amassed hundreds of members and enough money to give this gentleman his dream over Christmas. Thanks to Sky’s pro activeness and determination, the gentleman in question will now be spending from Christmas Eve until the 27th of December in a local hotel.

He will be able to eat, have a nice warm bath and watch some TV. Many Basildon residents have donated via paypal to user@butcherr37.freeserve.co.uk and you can still get involved. Although the hotel has been booked, long term, the homeless and the woman’s refuge can all benefit in 2015 from all the good work this group is doing.

If you can’t donate cash, spare clothes and toys and quilts will do wonders for those less fortunate too. Join the Facebook group today http://www.facebook.com/groups/490070057781538/?fref=ts to keep updated with what you can do to help.

No one chooses to be homeless. As generous as people are during the festive season, please join the group and remember the homeless and needy’s problems will not disappear after Christmas.