At last some good news…
And it's Monday! Well, actually that isn't the good news…
You will recall that we have been following the story of Vinnie, as told by his friend Dr. Gabs Evans. And today we welcome her back to Beanie Cellars with a further episode in his life.
Over to our guest.
Our Vinnie has finally (after over 6 months) found
a place in a shared house, it’s owned by a private company who turned a 2 up 2
down into a 5 bedroom house and gets the housing benefit directly (you do the
maths), however the place is a hovel and quite dirty, so the only thing he
dares to use there is the microwave.
Since he’s also paying £100 a month
expenses and had to pay them £70 for paperwork, he’s quite broke. We arranged
that he gets a bit of pocket money for occasional dog sitting or walking to
help him. He’s on disability money, which leaves him with roughly £360 a month
(this month minus the £70) and has to pay everything from it, so it’s a bit of a scrape.
During the time he was homeless and didn’t receive benefits, he also needed to
borrow money from friends and family, which he’s now paying back…
His method of transport is a bike he found in a
skip, which also needs parts so he can actually take it on the road.
He needs
blankets and bedding, and he’s trying to put some money aside to buy a new (as in new
2nd hand) mattress as the one in his room has springs sticking out that ripped
his sleeping bag…
Vinnie usually calls around between 9 or 10 am, to
take the dogs out for their 2nd walk. While he’s out I make him a bit of
breakfast, he’s pottering around in the house or is outside in the garden,
repairing his bike as he doesn’t feel secure in the shared house. He's an ex
addict and so he is uncomfy in the presence of users, so he isn't home much. Later on he has lunch with me. I started to
make slightly bigger portions for dinner (hubby and Vinnie are both meat
eaters) and freeze them in for him. He said he’s embarrassed that we spend
money on his food, so I decided to do it differently. We have an organic
butcher nearby and we get the offcuts for our dogs, so I simply asked them for
bones and cook them out for a nourishing soup and add whichever vegetables are
reduced (always an eye on the yellow stickers) and make a stew or soup for
Vinnie. He can’t chew very well because he has lost all his teeth and has
ill-fitting dentures (mind you, he’s only 50), so stews and soups work very
well for him.
We’ve been doing the soups for over a week now and
I thought he was stocking the freezer in the shared house with them as he
almost daily asks for more and showed up not only with plastic containers but
also up to 4 thermoses. So this morning I asked why. He was sputtering and
humming a bit before he told me. What he said is that most of the charities only do food during
the winter, which makes it really difficult for homeless or poor people to eat
during spring, summer and autumn, he’s been sharing the thermoses with some of
his friends that are still homeless. It’s often the only warm or nutritious
meal they have all day or in days.
So just a thought for you…
In case you see a homeless person, it’s awfully
sweet if you want to buy them a coffee or a tea, but most of them really do
need food. The cheapest sandwich from the local supermarket will help them more
than a cuppa. There really are people out there who do not have anything to
eat. Another problem is their fear that the food they’re given might be
poisoned. It's unbelievable to think that people could do such a thing, I know, but it has happened. Due to Vinnie giving it out, it’s not a worry, but
it’s something to consider if you offer them a homemade sandwich or food. If
they decline, they don’t mean to insult you, it’s just fear due to them being a
target for all sorts of attacks. If you buy them a can of something, make sure
it’s one they don’t need a tin can opener for, some don’t even have one, and
pick something they can also eat cold – most have no access to a kettle.
Thank you Dr Gabs, and we are all rooting for Vinnie and hope he makes a go of things. We are pretty sure with your support he stands more than a fighting chance!
Vinnie's story is not unusual. Once homeless and on the streets it is becoming increasingly difficult to get back up again. Landlords want deposits and bonds, some won't take people on benefits. Some of the homeless people have neither the confidence nor the patience to fight against an increasingly hostile and fraying support system.
And sometimes they give up hope…
Here at Beanies_Masato we try and keep you in touch with what's happening. We share stories from our homeless friends. We share information on statistics, share Reports and tell you what is actually happening.
And, we sell stuff. All our beanie hats, scarves and duffle bags are "Buy one give one". This means that for each one you buy for yourself, you are also gifting one, through our partners, to the homeless on the street. Other things we sell give at least £2 per sale to fund essentials for homeless outreach.
The link is here:-
Dr Gabs is on Twitter as @DrGabsEvans and Vinnie's story is also told in her tweets.
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