Despite the challenges of their situation, with our support Homeless Oxfordshire residents manage to find little moments of hope and joy at Christmas.
Over December we have been sharing the Christmas experiences of some of our residents. Our third and final story is about Becky* and how a wrapped gift made her feel seen and cared for.
Here’s Becky’s Christmas story.
During the holidays Becky often felt invisible and forgotten. Christmas can be an isolating time of year for our residents, especially for those estranged from their families.
Becky didn’t have anyone in her life who would specially choose and wrap a gift just for her. Then she came to live in supported accommodation with Homeless Oxfordshire. On Christmas Day last year, Becky’s support worker knocked on her door to carry out a daily welfare check. As she was leaving, she handed Becky a gift, donated and wrapped by a kind volunteer.
Becky lit up. Better still, that day one of her fellow residents presented her with a second gift at dinner, chosen and wrapped with her in mind. For Becky, those moments weren’t about the gifts themselves. They were about being seen and cared for.
Becky’s story is a reminder that it doesn’t take grand gestures to make someone feel significant. Simple acts of kindness, like a thoughtfully chosen gift, can break through feelings of isolation and bring back a sense of belonging.
This holiday season, you can make a difference. Becky is one of 53 women who were supported by Homeless Oxfordshire last year. The number of women accessing our services has increased since then. Some female residents live in mixed-gender supported accommodation across the county, and some in our dedicated Women’s Project in Oxford. A gift of £100 this Christmas could help the women in this project get the support they need on their journey towards independent living.
We hope you have enjoyed hearing about the little moments of joy that your support gives to our residents. Thank you for thinking of those experiencing homelessness this Christmas.
Donate today and make a gift that keeps on giving.
Thank you for making these moments of hope possible.
*These are the real experiences of some of our residents but their names and images have been changed to protect their identity.
