We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.

Had this blog post going round in my head for a few days but couldn’t think of a title for it then this meme popped up in my FB newsfeed and it was perfect.

There have always been homeless people on the streets of our major cities – I remember seeing the odd one or two around Birmingham over 35 years ago when I was at college. But over recent years the number has risen dramatically and it’s no longer confined to cities; even  small towns now have a homelessness issue.

Homelessness can be  fuelled by many things from zero hour contracts; benefit sanctions; relationship breakdowns; domestic violence. Many people are living on the edge and it is said that many are just a month away from ending up homeless.

Imagine finding yourself with no option but to sleep on the streets; no roof over your head; sleeping in a shop doorway; frightened and scared of what might happen to you. Feeling cold and hungry and not knowing what is going to happen to you.

Homeless people come from all walks of life – they are people like you and me. It is only circumstances that separate us. Many of them had jobs, families, homes. The reasons why they have ended up homeless are many and varied and that is what makes the issue of homelessness so complex.

Thankfully there are many organisations up and down the UK who work to help  and support people who find themselves homeless and on the streets. Many of them are run by dedicated volunteers who give up their time to walk the streets both night and day to offer food, drinks, sleeping bags etc to those they come across.

As many of you may know I live on a small island off the west coast of Scotland and we don’t have a homeless issue here but that doesn’t mean that it’s an issue that doesn’t concern me. Even if you never come across a homeless person on the street you can’t fail to know that it is an issue. There are stories in the papers and across social media every single day.

I wanted to do something more than donate a few quid – for a start, I can’t afford to donate to every good cause I want to support. So I decided to do something practical.

I picked up my crochet hook and started to make some wrist warmers. Nothing fancy  - just something that might help keep someone warm and bring a little comfort to them knowing that someone somewhere cared.

I put a call out on Twitter for some contacts and the lovely folks at Beanies Masato got in touch. Turns out they donate one of their fab beanie hats to homeless outreach organisations for everyone that is bought. With their help I was able to make contact with some homeless outreach organisations around the UK and offer them a dozen wrist warmers to hand out to those in need.

So far we have sent some to Hope Kitchen in Oban and Birmingham’s  Homeless Support Team and have another batch ready to go out to Reallove Liverpool.

I know it’s not much but at least 36 people will have a little something to help keep them a little bit warmer now that the weather is turning colder. Actually there will be more than 36 as I’ve got another 4 or 5 places to send some too so I best get my hook out and get crocheting.

I am thankful to the people who have supplied some yarn for me to do this. I have swapped some craft items with some people on the island via a swap group I set up on FB. If you have any unwanted yarn then please have a look and see if there is anything you would like to swap it for. Every bit helps me make another pair of wrist warmers which helps keep someone somewhere a little bit warmer.

In case you are wondering why wrist warmers and not gloves the answer is simple. I can’t follow a pattern and my crochet skills are not that good. These wrist warmers are simple and quick to make and are surprisingly warm. I made myself a pair and wore them out last week on a chilly windy day.

You can follow updates on my FB page Rainbows over Bute and find out where the next batch of wrist warmers end up.

Please also check out the homeless organisations I have mentioned and if you feel so inclined then check if there is one near you and see if there is anything you can do to help them out. It doesn't always have to be money that you donate - your time is just as good and many of them can always do with an extra pair of hands.

Like I said, none of us know what's around the corner. We'd all like to think that should something like this happen to us that there would be someone there to offer help and support.