By – Pri kumar
This has been one harsh winter for many of us who have experienced the icy cold chills in our day to day commutes. A month and a half ago, I was walking back from school when I noticed how cold it had been getting lately. Even with the many layers of warm clothing, I could still feel frost seeping through.
On my regular commute back from school, I came across a homeless man who, unlike many of us layered to stay warm during the winter, had no means to do the same. I reached into my pockets to see if I had anything to give, that would make a difference to his day. Although I did not have any money on me, I did have some packed food. It wasn’t much however it was all I had on me at the time.
As I handed it over to the man, his skin came into touch with mine. I could feel him shivering as he took the food. If I was freezing under the layers I was cloaked in, how would this man, just as any other homeless person on the streets this severe winter, feel with just minimal layers to keep him warm.
Provide the Security Blanket
That got me thinking. I thought to myself how I could help out, so I organized a blanket run for the homeless. Within a week of appeal, I got the word out through friends, affiliates, about the issue of homelessness and what we could do to make a difference. In the end, a total of approximately 50 blankets were collected and donated to St. Vincent De Paul to be distributed. The whole project was planned within 2 days and executed within 7 days. The project wasn’t on an enormous scale. However, it was sufficient to make more people aware of the social issue of homelessness and encouraged many to get involved in assisting them through the winter.
Homelessness in Australia
On any given night there are over 105,237 homeless people in Australia. And it is a rising issue. The world of the homelessness, the dispossessed is distant for most of us, yet it is not really that far away. We can step back and analyze the issue. Then we can start to understand how important it is for us to make an active change in regards to it.
I would encourage others to work with their communities and networks to make an impact on an important issue within their everyday lives. We all have the power to model and represent good values and morals as humans through our actions. However, being able to employ that in our work and actions in our everyday life is what makes them count.
Help the Homeless
If you would like to help out the homeless in Australia, you can volunteer or donate to different organisations such as St. Vincent De Paul. Sometimes a small thing can go a long way.
