Last night I slept in a car park doing a sponsored sleep out to raise money for a homeless charity.
It was mostly cold and definitely uncomfortable.
In the grand scheme of things it wasn't that traumatic or difficult,
I didn't expect to sleep much, laying on cardboard for a few hours was not ideal and my legs and back ached, but i was able to go in the warm hall for a hot drink, luxury bathrooms and a sit in a comfortable chair whilst I passed a few minutes surfing the web on my smart phone.
I had the mentality of, I just need to wait it out until bacon sandwiches were served at 7am, I go home to bed and life goes on.
Two weeks ago I went with my friends Sarah and Hannah to some places people really sleep rough in Bedford. It wasn't quite the same picture.
One place we went was a room with dirty blankets on the floor, 4 polish guys sleep there, there were beer cans and fag butts everywhere, it felt a bit like we had gone back in time, it was literally a dirty, smelly, windowless, heating-less room that they had made home with a few christmas decorations. Outside I stood in a puddle of very strong smelling urine in what we discovered must be their bathroom area (I managed to avoid other dangers on the floor).
We also visited a place Id been before when one of our guys had died at the end of last year. A disused garage, again, beer cans, human waste, dirty bedding, a derelict and dangerous place hidden away in the centre of Bedford town.
As I lay in my steaming hot bath this afternoon I was humbled and grateful again.
The most common cause of homelessness in the UK is breakdown in relationship of family and friends, not job loss, not addiction, not physical or mental health illnessess, although these are problems that add to it.
Some of the homeless people I have met over the years used to be Bank Managers, Accountants, public school boys and girls, only 30% of the UK's homeless population were brought up in care, only 37% have no qualifications on leaving school.
The problem is that there isn't enough love.
Last year I came home from Zambia with a suitcase and my friends and church made sure i was ok with somewhere safe and warm to live, space to talk, not talk, cry and process the trauma of leaving.
Why did I sleep rough last night?
Because everyone should be loved like this, everyone should have someone who cares, no-one should be forgotten or left behind, sleeping in a derelict room with no windows or toilet, frightened, living off soup run food and begging money, its no wonder people drink and use drugs really.
That people feel alone and unloved, that they are unseen and feel like they don't matter to anyone just isn't right.
The King's Arms Project seeks to help homeless people back into finding their worth and place in society. KAP believe in loving people back to life both practically and in how they treat people to bring self worth and self belief.
If you'd like to sponsor me please do.
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=ZoeJoy
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