People Off The Streets

During the bad weather the Basic Skills customers at CDG's Newport centre helped out a local organisation called People Off The Streets, an organisation that provides shelter for the homeless. The decision to help was made by the customers after we discussed the possibility of helping out and the kind of work we could do to help them. The customers were highly motivated and keen to start the tasks required of them.

The customers interacted with the homeless by talking with them and playing various games. At meal times my customers were very proactive in preparing meals and washing the dishes afterwards, some demonstrated a flair for cooking and are now considering catering as a possible change of career. They also helped move furniture and readjust the room to accommodate the sleeping arrangements.
 

During their discussions with the homeless, customers were quite surprised at how easy it is to become homeless. The majority had the impression that to become homeless was the fault of the person, not the unfortunate circumstances that often lead to being homeless such as divorce or the economic downturn.

There was one man, nicknamed ‘Feathers’, who went to great lengths to talk about his time in prison and made each customer aware of the perils of taking the wrong path in life. He even warned: “Do not make the same mistakes as me.“ On a couple of occasions I ran short sessions for my customers and the homeless were happy to join in and gave a lot of useful input.

In many respects our time with the homeless was a complete success. The customers are now aware that homeless people are often the victims of bad luck and do not voluntarily become homeless. Some customers are exploring other employment opportunities they had never considered before. They felt they were appreciated in what they did to help and felt they were doing something worth while. By far the biggest achievement was the fact that all 15 homeless people had been found accommodation and are finally off the streets.

Cliff Letts, Basic Skills Tutor, CDG Newport (Isle of Wight)

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