Chris Foster's Letter
LETTER FROM CHRIS FOSTER WRITTEN TO VOLUNTEERS DURING THE FIRST SEASON OF THE WINTER HAVEN IN EARLY 1993
Dear Friends
As we are approaching the end of our Project, I felt that you might like an update about it.
Someone had commented that if ever a project could bring Christians together, this was it. It certainly seemed that people delighted in doing something for a change rather than talking about it. We have had 164 volunteeers doing the various jobs and doing them with such a loving spirit. However I would like to talk more about that at a later date.
The whole of this project has been a great learning curve that without the help of God could have easily been a disaster. As it is we have coped with all the difficulties and overcome them somehow. It has not been without its danger and certainly not without its humour. You have to have been there at 3 o'clock in the morning to appreciate that.
We have had four psychiatric cases among the normal clients and at present we have five regular clients each night. Of these there are two young girls of sixteen and seventeen years of age. The seventeen year old is deaf and the Social Services feel that they are unable to help her any further with accommodation. She has slept rough in London and as far away as Newcastle, although she is a Stevenage girl. The other young girl is still going to school! As proud as I feel of what we are doing here I feel she should be somewhere better.
For those who haven't heard we do not need any more blankets or clothes. The response from everyone was magnificent and will support us in the future. We still need tinned food as this will continue with Food on Foot to feed the homeless and needy.
What we do need desperately still are volunteers to do the overnight duties. If you think that you can do one or even two nights in the remaining three weeks, please help ease the heavy load that other willing backs have been carrying. Perhaps it could be your Lenten offering?
There seems to be some glimmer of hope for the future as the Council wish to discuss it with us when we are finished for this year. We certainly can't call a halt to what has happened here. Already some of our volunteers have signed up for next year and are eager to get on with the planning. As one of them said "Christians doing the work of Christ" but that is not to forget the non-Christian help given us so willingly.
We hope to produce a comprehensive report about the Project and the future of such a Project in Stevenage and this will be available to all the churches. There will also be a 'farewell' party for the volunteers and clients and an open night for the volunteers and interested parties to talk about the project. The time will be announced later.
Thank you all for your continued support!
Chris Foster, Chair SHSGp.