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Saturday was the reunion party for all the volunteers who helped out over the Christmas period. There were 8425 volunteers over the week who each gave an average of 24 hours time. That's about 23 person-years of time in just 7 days; really quite an awe-inspiring figure. The centre I was at had shifts as a three shift pattern (0700-1500, 1500-2300, 2300-0700); I worked 4 shifts of 1500-2300 on 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th December. I was at the Rough Sleepers Centre, which was referral only from the other centres, and was the old BBC rehearsal studio in North Acton.

From the email I was just sent: [The 6 centres had] over 1100 guests on a daily basis with a total of approximately 1900 different guests attending over the week. Receiving this email prompted me to write another entry related to the things that I did there. A few people having been asking the sorts of things that needed doing.
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The re-union party was at the same venue at which Dreadnought used to be hosted, so it had an extra bit of nostalgia too. It's a shame that the venue is so dimly lit because it made recognising people difficult. I saw about 4 people from my shift, plus kittylyst. There are talks of drinks nights too, so I'm looking forward to that.

those people have so little, and yet I have so much. I know that (even if I could afford it) giving huge donations wouldn't necessarily help; they need time, resources, car and attention. Things that society seems so bad at giving. I feel guilty for having so much and being able to do so little.

One guy came here from abroad (he'd emigrated a few years prior) to give Christmas presents to his kids. On the way to catch up with mates he'd been mugged - with everything taken including his return flight, documents and the money he'd use to live on whilst here. As a result he's been stranded in this country. He was in hospital for 2.5 months and now walks with a stick.

Another guy, whose story I don't know, is conversational in several languages (English, Norwegian, German, French, Polish, Spanish, Italian and an Indian language that I forget). Such talent goes to waste. Society fails him too.

I cried on the train home.