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Knickers top of wishlist at shelter for homeless
“PLEASE send us pants.” Thatwas the urgent plea from volunteers who are helping to provide shelter for homeless people in Maidstone. As temperatures plummeted
below freezing, project manager Alexa Kersting-Woods, of Maid- stone ChurchesWinter Shelter, was delighted with the donations of clothes and food, money and offers of help which had flowed in, but highlighted a need for knickers. “We have had quite a lot of cloth-
ing sent in, for which we are very grateful, but we are making an ap- peal for pants. We especially need men’s fitted boxer shorts in small, mediumand large and ladies’ knick- ers, also in a range of sizes.” Warm clothing is also alwayswel-
come, as well as sheets, blankets sleeping bags and tents. The shelter, which is in its fourth
year, opened on January 3 for 12 weeks, and is held at different churches and buildings throughout the town each night. Last winter, 77 people received its support. This year, 15 beds are available for
men and women who would other- wise be sleeping rough in car parks,
tents or shop
doorways.Ages of cur- rent guests range from 23 to 62. The project’s appeal for day helpers resulted in 260 people com- ing forward, but overnight volun- teers are still needed. Alexa said: “The night is split, so
you wouldn’t have to stay awake all night. Even if you could only make two nights during the 12-week pe- riod that would make a difference.” The winter shelter opened for
three nights from Christmas Eve, with volunteers Annie and Keith Shave opening the United Reformed Church to ensure there was some- where for street homeless to go. Guests were treated to a curry by
the Tandoor Mahal in Medway Street, with so much food that vol- unteers were able to take some to
other vulnerable people in the area. Food was also provided by the White Rabbit pub and Tesco, Lunsford Park. Gifts for each guest included those donated by Gruffalo class at St Marks’ CE Primary School, Eccles and customers of the Retreat beauty salon, Maidstone. Alexa said: “It’s amazing to see the generosity of hundreds of people wanting to help street homeless, the guestswere really touched.” The shelter works with Maidstone
Day Centre, in Knightrider Street, which is run by charity Homeless Care, and with Porchlight, which works with rough sleepers. Zofia Grzymala, manager of the
day centre, said itwas helping about 30 clients a day. “The problem is huge in the severe weather we are having at the moment,” she said. “The community of Maidstone is helping verywell, butwe definitely need winter clothes, coats, tents and all types of food donations.” Contact the winter shelter on
01622 296450, Maidstone Day Cen- tre on 01622 674064, and Porchlight on 0800 567 7699.
News Hospital train
album display A RARE chance to see an 1899 album revealing the role of a World War I hospital trainwas provided to mark the last day of Maidstone Mu- seum’s exhibition, Coming Home: Conflict and Care 1916-2016. The album includes images of the Princess Christian Hospital Train whichwas seven carriages long and had a kitchen, dining and siting room, nurses’ quarters and bunks for patients. The story of the train, which cost
about £7,000, was explained by Maidstone Museum collections offi- cer, Rebecca Arnott, who described how the nurses often worked in dif- ficult conditions sometimes made worse by bombings near stations. She said: “Itwas great to be able to
share the research we gathered on the album.” The eventwas organised with the museum by Kent Community Rail Partnership. Chairman Sue Murray said: “The presentationwas terrific bringing to- gether the spoken word, slides, paintings, phots and artefacts giving all of us a better idea of how an am- bulance train worked. Learning of the cramped conditions nurses worked in, their bravery and that of those wounded soldiers, was alto- gether a very moving experience.”
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