Socks on a Sunday
Christmas Day 2018 is when it all started for me! My sister and I fancied doing something ‘different’ on Christmas Day – so we volunteered for ECHO (East Coast Homeless Outreach) an organisation I came across on Facebook who were doing a Christmas dinner in Lincoln for the homeless and vulnerable.
Christmas is a tricky time for lots of people, especially the community we work with, as the festive period magnifies their challenging circumstances and estrangements from loved ones. There is the additional overwhelming social pressure for it to be a ‘happy time’ - and its usually pretty cold too!
So fast forward 3½ years and volunteering has become an integral part of my life. In Lincoln ECHO provides a hot 2-course meal, hot and cold drinks, and a cold food bag for ‘laters’ every Sunday. Currently our kitchen is based at Croft Street Community Centre, and we regularly serve between 40-60 lunches.
But its more than just a kitchen serving food. Our volunteer team are reliable, well organised, caring and compassionate, and a great sense of humour is essential! We greet our regulars by name – as simple as it sounds, this is a big deal and reinforces each visitor’s sense of self-worth. We provide a safe space for people to come and have a natter over a cuppa. In 2020 I was proud to become a Mental Health First Aider and also completed a suicide alertness training course – this means as a team – we are able to assist with more than just an empty stomach!
My car is regularly rammed with ‘street’ essentials such as toiletries, footwear, joggers, t-shirts, clean underwear, hoodies, hats, gloves, baby wipes, coats etc. I soon learnt what was needed by the community we support, and whilst it might take me some time to source a specific request, I am definitely the go-to person for a fresh pair of socks on a Sunday!
I also volunteer for the NHS funded crisis cafes in Lincoln and as a proud ‘crazy cat lady’ and animal lover – I am also a volunteer for StreetVet – a national charity with a local presence that look after our four-legged friends on the streets. I would be happy to give a little insight on the awesome work that these 2 different organisations do at some point in the future.
As a final note, my motivation for doing volunteering is by no means completely altruistic. Whilst difficult and challenging at times, it is extremely grounding. Every single week I am reminded of how fortunate I am. It has helped me focus on what is genuinely important in life - I no longer ‘sweat the small stuff’!
