Relax...

Phew. It's with some relief that we discovered an organisation that not only can provide housing advice and food parcels, but actually wants us to encourage people to contact them.


Guess it was inevitable that once we'd helped a couple of people, word got around and we've had a steady stream of people wanting help for a long time. But we aren't an organisation, just a private household, and I've been really uncomfortable making value judgements. Inevitably, we've had people who've tried to take advantage.


I'd call someone pleading for help with food for a few days, then being seen at the supermarket checkout with 20 cans of Fosters taking the mick? Or another who it turned out had a freezer full but just didn't 'fancy' what they had? Or how about the one provided with a food parcel seen minutes later buying £20 mobile phone credit.


I mean, honestly. 


It's been much more demanding over the last few weeks since the Government brought in a cut off date for Employment Support Allowance, applied retrospectively, which means that thousands of people have found themselves over £99 a week worse off. Add to that the local Advice Centre had it's government funding withdrawn, so their waiting list was humongous.......


We weren't completely alone, but the people that helped US were little fund starved charities, often kept afloat by the dedication of one or two people.


We have bills to pay and a home to run just like anyone else.


To be fair, the charitable one in the household is Bear. I'm more likely to booby trap the fridge, and I've often had a combination of words including 'Camel' 'Sandstorm' and 'Arse' on my C.V. 


As luck would have it, a friend who'd had their benefits stopped mentioned to their GP that they'd been without income for a week and were out of food, and given a number to ring. They asked us to ring on their behalf, and the charity were only too glad to help.


A round of applause for SOAR.