LETTER: Consider the homeless during the colder months

Madam – I know this has been said before but now that winter is truly arriving, we really need to think about those that have nothing.

There are various organisations and even private businesses that start collecting items to hand out to the homeless and to families in need around this time, and it will cost you barely anything to support these initiatives if you can.

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My family and I collect old clothes that do not fit anymore or that we have not used in a while and we donate this to local families and charity organisations. Over the years we must have donated dozens of bags of clothes and we rejoice in the fact that our small contribution may have helped someone in need.

Also canned food is always in demand, as is basic hygiene products like toothpaste and soap. These items will not kill your budget, and you can rest well at night to know someone has appreciated your kind heart.

There are many who say on social media that donating only makes the homeless more reliant on charity, but those are people that may never have had to be in the same situation as those who are forced to live on the cold streets.

I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to give back, and I have never gone to bed cold and hungry. Spare a thought for those who may never have had the luxury of having parents or guardians to protect them from the harsh realities of life.

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Think about children who try to run households by themselves because they have been orphaned, or pensioners who cannot get by on the tiny amount the government hands out to them. It breaks my heart to think about people in my community going to sleep with no food. Please Newcastle, do your part to put food in an empty belly this winter.

Begging Betty

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