Mums unite to help homeless people on our streets at Christmas

Shannon Mason (21), from Spalding, and Kimberley Amess (23), from Pinchbeck, will focus on places including Spalding, Peterborough, King’s Lynn, Wisbech and Kettering.

They are collecting everyday essentials through appeals on social media and have asked people who can donate items, including warm clothes, to contact them on Facebook.

Kimberley said: “It’s getting very cold at nights and we’re all in warm houses. We might not be made of money but surely everyone has something they’d be happy to give.

“It’s not like we are asking people to put their hands in their pockets, we are asking people to give things that they don’t need or don’t want.”

Kimberley said they will help the homeless in Spalding before going further afield.

“Obviously we will start at home first,” said Kimberley. “But I know some of Spalding’s homeless people have moved to Peterborough because there’s more people there.”

Shannon has learned how homeless people walk the streets for hours on winter nights because they fear they might die from the cold if they don’t keep moving to stay warm.

She says homeless women, particularly, feel vulnerable to attack when they are alone and living on the streets.

Homelessness can happen to anyone and working people are known to be among those without a home in Spalding.

Kimberley said often it isn’t someone’s fault that they have nowhere to live and we can all do something to bring some joy into their lives.

She said: “I was talking to a (homeless) man one night and he was lovely. I brought him food and he started crying because he was so thankful. It genuinely broke my heart.”

Shannon and Kimberley say they don’t understand why anyone should be homeless and freezing cold this Christmas.

They say on Facebook: “We can’t give them a house but we can help try (to) keep them warm.”

Helpful items to donate include:

• coats

• jumpers/fleeces

• blankets/sleeping bags

• socks/gloves/hats

• food/water (things that don’t need warming up and aren’t going out of date).

Personal hygiene items like baby wipes and tampons are also

Please visit www.facebook.com/helpthehomelessspalding/ to tell the mums about items you want to donate.