Ipswich Night Shelter gets underway
All through the winter, until February 17th 2012, seven churches in the town are opening their doors one night each week to offer a hot evening meal, a bed and breakfast to up to twelve people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets during the coldest winter nights.
Our first impression was how well everything was organised. The guests were welcomed at the door and checked off a booking list, then offered a cup of tea and given the chance to choose their bed for the night. The hall was laid out with tables and chairs for the evening meal, and 12 beds were all prepared in an adjacent room.
Busy preparing the food in the kitchen were Sarah, Joe and Zoe, who attend various churches in the area. At 8.30pm they were serving up large plates of gammon, egg and chips, followed by cake and tea.
As the guests arrived they chatted with the helpers or read the papers, and one brave man was just starting on a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Twelve people had booked in that evening and eleven of these arrived in time for the meal.
Some guests had been to every one of the open nights so far. One of them, Barry, said “This is a real Godsend – I nearly cried on my first night here. And all the helpers are volunteers you know, it’s wonderful. But sometimes I just think of all that I had and have lost”. Barry’s daughter had written to the organisers saying how she appreciated all the support being given to her dad. “I think you have given him some belief he can move forward and get help whilst doing it. He talks a lot about you.”
The guests have very different stories. One man had recently come out of hospital; another, Romans, who was from Latvia, said “This place is very nice, the people are all so friendly”.
The volunteers work in shifts; an evening shift until 10.30, a night shift from then until 6.00 in the morning, and finally a morning shift, who provide breakfast, until 8.30.
Zoe said that the response from volunteers had been overwhelming – over 300 people had registered to help, and new offers were still coming in. Most were from the local Christian churches, but a few were members of other religions, or none. One lady, a GP, was unable to help at the time needed but had sent a cheque for £100.
One of the organisers, Paul Herbert, said “The volunteers have been absolutely amazing. And we have had a lot of help from other agencies, especially IHAG. Some of the authorities have been trying to get something like this going for ages, and it is now beginning to happen. People have been really challenged by what needs to be done and I hope it will have a permanent effect on the work of the church in Ipswich. I said to one of the guests recently ‘You look different, why is that’, and he replied ‘Someone cares’.”
The Revd Michael Tillett, whose parish includes Holy Trinity, said “This project is real and meaningful. The last time they were here some of the guests asked me for a blessing. Of course, it is God who really blesses us all, but I was much moved by this simple request”.
The churches hosting the night shelter are: Sunday – Hope Church, Monday – Salvation Army Bramford Road, Tuesday – St Mary’s at Stoke, Wednesday – Ipswich International Church, Thursday – Christ church and St Pancras Tacket Street, Friday – Burlington Baptist, Saturday – Holy Trinity
Contacts:
More information is available from the Ipswich Night Shelter website www.iwns.org.uk
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