Home: do we value what it gives us?

I could not imagine what it is like to not have a home and a clean, warm bed to sleep in at night. Yet people sleep rough on our city streets every night, some by choice others by necessity. Yet it is not without its dangers. I remember how upset my daughter was when their friendly local tramp in her university city died of hypothermia one winter. 

War zones are another area where the basic needs of a safe, secure home are often compromised.  Many travel to distant countries seeking a safer and better life, yet they still face the challenges of finding a home.

How would you behave towards a homeless family in your community?

There is this man, his wife and young family of two girls.  He is an honest, hardworking man but his once thriving business failed.  His debts mounted so he sold his family home to repay them.  This made his family homeless.  The eldest daughter’s shoes were too small for her and hurt her feet.  She did not tell her parents as she knew that money was so short.

Where do you think this family were from – Syria?

How did the community react to them?

This man is my Grandfather during the approach to World War II.  The girl with the tight shoes was my Mum.  My Grandfather had a thriving business building houses but he lived on the south coast of the UK which was likely to become a war zone.  Who would want a house built there?

This man could have been from Syria.  In the UK and perhaps other communities too, we have forgotten the impact of war and difficult economic times on ordinary people’s lives.  Our young adults and the lower paid people in our communities are struggling to provide a home for themselves and their families.  There is increasing homeless and the impact, particularly on children, is high.  Having a secure and comfortable home is a necessity for our well-being.

What happened to this man and his family?

Unexpectedly my Grandfather was given the loan of a house at very low rent.  His family had to move across town to a community they did not know.  Some of my Grandfather’s workmen believed in him and they started a new business together.  The community welcomed the family and they made new friends.  A new baby was born.  However my Mum never forgot the feeling of insecurity from being made homeless.  It stayed with her for the whole of her adult life.  She would never borrow money and always had money for a ‘rainy day’.

How do you behave towards a homeless person?

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