A third-year student at Salford University decided to take action herself this winter when seeing the number of homeless people sleeping rough on the streets.
Upon moving to Manchester from Northumberland, Ellis Martin was shocked by the number of homeless people.
She decided to create care packages this winter, with everyday essentials in them that homeless people lack severely.
Deciding what to put in the care packages was a challenge, relying on money that had been donated and making sure the right stuff was being bought.
The care packages included things such as boxers, sanitary pads and dog food.
Ms Martin said: “I spoke to a lot of the homeless charities on social media and just asked what’s the essential things that people would want and I also asked the homeless people as well.”
This included items such as wet wipes, deodorant and tissues and not just food, which people typically tend to buy.
Ellis said: “They are essential things that we need every day and they were so grateful for them because not a lot of people give them stuff like that.”
Although it’s quite stressful trying to juggle her studies as well as this, she said: “The response that you get from the homeless people is so worth it – they’re so grateful.”
Ellis has always helped homeless people since she has been in Salford and said she would love to see this carry on every Christmas through other students at Salford.
“I’d love to do it all year round. I just don’t have the time,” she said.
More homeless people are sleeping rough in Salford and the number of homeless people recorded dying on the streets or in temporary accommodation has more than doubled over the past five years, according to the Guardian.
These figures are likely to be a significant underestimate, as no part of the UK government records homeless death statistics at a national level and local authorities are not obliged to record the information.
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