Spare a Thought This Christmas

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Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, comfort and laughter. It's a time where we gather around our friends and family whilst taking for granted the stuffed turkey (or quorn in my case), the presents under the tree and the copious amounts of alcohol. As we dance around the Christmas tree, sing songs around the fire and laugh gleefully at the Christmas cracker jokes, it's easy to forget that there's people that won't be celebrating Christmas this year.

Walking through Manchester a few days ago, I was confronted by many homeless people. Call me naive or whatever you like, but being from a smaller town it's something that I'm not used to seeing and it took me by quite a shock. Each Christmas I go through the emotions of feeling lonely and isolated. I don't have much family apart from my parents and my aunties and uncles never have the time to see me. My favourite and most doting auntie died only nine months ago, in all fairness she was the only person that really understood me. Each year I always crave the big family parties that I see on Christmas films and the television, but before I met my fiance it was difficult. I'm an only child with no grandparents. These days Christmas is larger as my fiances family and mine get together and it makes such a difference. Feeling lonely at Christmas is one thing, but having no-one there at Christmas is just unimaginable for most. Looking at the people on the streets, I couldn't help but want to shed a tear. Of course, there were people that looked like they probably did have homes to go to, but a select few looked like living on the streets was the only thing they knew. Walking back to the train station, I decided to look on the Shelter website and the facts took me by surprise.

The slogan for the Christmas Shelter appeal is 'One homeless child at Christmas is a tragedy, 80,000 of them is a disgrace.' When thinking of children at Christmas most people think of santa claus, opening presents and Christmas stockings, not being homeless. It's surprising how one encounter with an homeless man the other evening has opened my eyes further to a national problem that we all are slightly oblivious to.

This Christmas all I ask from you is to look around you and cherish the moments with your family. To think about all the people less fortunate and to give a little Christmas goodwill to those who need it the most. I will be donating money to the UK Charity Shelter this Christmas and although I can't offer them a mass amount of money, I hope that my contributions will somehow help one person have a good Christmas that they deserve. After all, everyone deserves a home.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/