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How to help a homeless person this winter

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As the nights get colder and darker, its easy for us to curl up in our blankets in our warm homes and switch off from the outside world.

But what about all those people who dont have a home to go to at night this winter?

Today marks World Homeless Day which aims to draw attention to homeless peoples needs locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness.

The 999 Club in Deptford, South London, is one of many homeless charities across the UK which is empowering homeless people to transform their lives.

MANCHESTER, MANCHESTER,, UNITED KINGDOM - 2018/04/15: A homeless man sleeps in a pedestrian pathway in Manchester city center. Greater Manchester is a remarkable city in the northwest of England with a lush industrial heritage. The Castle field conservation areas 18th-century canal system recalls the citys days as a textile powerhouse, and visitors can trace this history at the interactive Museum of Science & Industry. (Photo by Rahman Hassani/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

As the nights get colder and darker, spare a thought for the rough sleepers this winter (Picture: Getty)

Fashion designer Irene has been staying in the 999 Clubs night shelter for a month. She became homeless after her business failed and she fell behind in her rent.

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She said: There are so many homeless people out there, some of them are skillful. Every homeless person has a different situation.

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As soon as people hear you are homeless, they start to treat you a different way. They make assumptions about you. I want to say to them – dont judge people, just talk to them.

I have lots of messages I want to put on t-shirts to spread the word, like: I am a skilled homeless person. Treat me with respect. You dont know my ability, and Dont label me because I am homeless. Get to know my story.

Heres how you can help a homeless person this winter:

Take time to talk

Homeless man begging on the street in freezing weather, dubbed 'The Beast from the East' due to the sub zero cold temperature winds coming in from Siberia, descends on 28th February 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (photo by Jenny Matthews/In Pictures via Getty Images)

Today marks World Homeless Day (Picture: Getty)

Many people sleeping rough say they feel alienated and depersonalized. Stopping and taking the time for a short chat can make a big difference to a persons sense of worth.

George (name changed to protect identity) had two periods of sleeping rough around Greenwich and Deptford in early 2018.

He said: The hardest bit about sleeping rough is peoples perceptions of you. I was on medication and if you go into a café and ask for a glass of water to take your pills, they say get out, you junkie.

When I was on the streets, I wanted someone to talk to. Engage a homeless person in conversation. Find out who they are and what they want. It might not be obvious, for example I had stomach problems so I couldnt accept food from people.

Everyone has different things they can help with.

Do what you feel most comfortable with

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Bedding and shelters belonging to homeless people lie under a bridge on the Embankment on February 28, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. Freezing weather conditions dubbed the 'Beast from the East' bring snow and sub-zero temperatures to the UK. Amber warnings are in place in northern England, the East Midlands, London, the east and south-east of England. Scotland's weather warning has been upgraded to red, which means risk to life, widespread damage, travel and power disruption are likely. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Take time to talk to the homeless (Picture: Getty)

Not all homeless people beg, and not everyone who begs is homeless. However, if you are asked for money, do what you feel works for you, knowing that any gift should be given without conditions.

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If you would like to give something instead of money, ask the person what they most need. While donations of food can given with good intention, allergies and intolerances can make it difficult for some people to accept these.

Contact Street Link

A person begs for money from passers-by in central London on August 13, 2018. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Streetlink is a service that operates throughout England and Wales (Picture: Getty)

Streetlink is a service that operates throughout England and Wales.

Members of the public can log details of a homeless person they come across on the Street Link website and this information is sent to the local authority or outreach service to help them find the individual and connect them to support.

Details requested include the location of the rough sleeper and the time they were there as well as a description of them which would help find them.

Spread the word about local services

NORTHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2018/02/28: Two elderly walk past a tent which is part of a homeless encampment during a snowfall in Northampton town. The snow fell lightly at first but quickly picked up speed as forecasters warned the freezing Siberian winds gripping Britain could be the coldest the UK has faced in 27 years. (Photo by Ioannis Alexopoulos/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Spread the word about local service (Picture: Getty)

If you know of homeless shelters in your neighbourhood, please pass on this information. Dont assume the person sleeping rough already knows about them.

The 999 Club runs a night shelter and daytime drop-in centre for rough sleepers and people who are vulnerably housed in South East London. It opens through the year with capacity for 30 people each night at its shelter.

Guests are given dinner and breakfast, access to a shower and clothes washing facilities as well as housing and benefits advocacy and advice, and support with job skills and training. Homeless shelters such as these do not charge clients for their use.

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Donate to a homeless charity

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock (9707210a) A homeless man sleeps in the warm temperatures in Oxford City Centre Seasonal Weather, Oxford, UK - 07 Jun 2018

Donate to a homeless charity (Picture: Rex)

As well as the large, better-known national homeless charities, there are also dozens of smaller local ones which provide essential day-to-day services for vulnerable people in their communities.

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These organisations are heavily dependent on fundraising to keep open, and remain free for clients to use when they most need them.

Many charities will run festive campaigns, but homelessness happens year-round, and they welcome donations throughout the year. One-off payments or regular giving through direct debits are easy to set up and are usually well posted on the relevant charitys website.

Give your time

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Max Bryan/LNP/REX/Shutterstock (9444779e) A homeless person shivers in the cold as Glasgow, Scotland is hit with snow storm 'Beast from the East' Seasonal weather, UK - 28 Feb 2018

Homeless charities are always in need of regular volunteers for a range of different tasks, from serving breakfast to helping out at a night shelter for the evening (Picture: Rex)

Your time and skills are precious to you, and to others. Homeless charities are always in need of regular volunteers for a range of different tasks, from serving breakfast to helping out at a night shelter for the evening.

For continuity, they usually ask for a minimum commitment of once a week, for at least three months. Some organizations also run a programme of activities and may be looking for people with particular skills to help with these.

For more information, or to donate to the 999 Club, go to www.999club.org

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