Photo by Jun.
It’s Christmas in London; only ten days till Christmas day, Hanukkah just ended (if I’m not mistaken), the schools are breaking up, and many people are anticipating the break from work.
But the joy this time of year never seems to spread across the whole of the population. Some people don’t get to take a break from work, all those presents have to be delivered by somebody, and certain places have to be open on Christmas day. Many people are alone this time of year, and the isolation can seem amplified when all you hear are Christmas adverts taking about family, and many people have no roof to sleep under during the cold nights.
The number of rough sleepers in London has risen in the last five years, and the winter season can be an incredibly dangerous and lonely time.
So don’t stop enjoying the holidays and feel guilty that you have something that they don’t; that’s not the point.
Do help those who don’t have what you have. It takes a couple of minutes.
Check out the Salvation Army website to find out what you can do to help those rough sleeping this winter.
If you know someone who’s alone this time of year, take time out of your day to call them, stop by their place, or invite them to yours.
It’s not about attacking those who have to make them give to those who haven’t, but it is about realising what we have so that we don’t just focus on ourselves during this time of year.
You’ll probably hear this message a lot during this time of year, and, to be honest, I sort of feel like a cliché just saying it, but London can get cold and lonely, especially during winter. Let this push us to do something about it.
A lot of us can do much more than we think to change the lives of others.
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Originally published on Dec 15, 2015
