WHEN one family from Southampton decided to give up their time on a cold December evening to deliver hot drinks and biscuits to Southampton’s homeless population, they never imagined they would still be doing it four months later.

But they are – and on a much bigger scale.

Now, Lynn Matthews, also known as Lynn Hardy, her partner, Peter Marsh, and daughter, Sammii Hardy, are feeding more than 40 homeless people hot meals and drinks five days out of seven, and they have no plans to stop anytime soon.

“We just wanted to do something to help,” explains Lynn, 53, from Millbrook.

“It was three weeks before Christmas and the weather was really cold, so we made up some tea and coffee and took some biscuits with us. We just drove around looking for people in shop doorways.”

“We were really surprised at how many there were,” adds Pete, 49. “We just didn’t realise that so many people had nowhere to sleep – we ran out of drinks and biscuits really quickly.”

Daily Echo:

On their first trip out, the family just took drinks and biscuits

When the trio got home, they started a group on Facebook asking for donations of hot drinks, gloves and sleeping bags so that they could continue to provide assistance to those without a home.

The following night they set out again, this time with more supplies of soup, sandwiches and crisps – but again they ran out of food.

It was then that they knew they couldn’t give up what they were doing. And as the members of the Facebook group grew, so did the family’s commitment to the strangers they had met.

Lynn, who is disabled, says: “I’m not sure why, but some of them really bring out my motherly instincts.

“Yes, some homeless people have problems, some are addicted to alcohol or drugs, but who are we to judge them?

They are still somebody’s son and they still deserve compassion and respect.

“It can’t be easy trying to sleep at night without somewhere safe to relax. And it can be very hard to hear some of them say that they don’t think they can go on much longer, or that they can’t stop taking drugs as they cannot go through detox without a bathroom or a shower.”

“Because they lose control of all their bodily functions,” explains care assistant, Sammii, 19. “And how can that happen when they are living on the streets?”

Pete, who is Lynn’s full-time carer, says: “I think they appreciate what we do because we don’t judge them; we can only listen to their stories and try to come up with ideas to help them, like using ground sheets to wrap around their bedding to keep it dry. I do try to help in any way I can.”

The public have rallied to the family’s plea for help and donations, providing food, clothing, toiletries and blankets for them to hand out and the Food Factory restaurant in Southampton even donates leftover food, which Pete collects daily, to be distributed among the homeless community.

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Pete and Dave collecting leftover food from The Food Factory

“Pete is amazing,” says Lynn. “It’s hard work and very time consuming, and yet he never complains, and he is not alone – there are so many people that help us and it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do without them,” says Lynn.

“From people donating flasks and food to volunteers, Dave and Aaron, who help Pete collect and distribute the food when they can. People have even come up to us in the town centre when we are handing meals out, including one little girl who wanted us to have her birthday money to buy fresh fruit with.

“It’s very heart-warming.”

Over the last three months, Pete has spent time with Two Saints – a charity who provide advice and support for people who are homeless, Southampton City Council Homeless Team and has developed a routine to try to make sure that the homeless population of Southampton know the days and time that he is available.

He says: “We have leaflets to hand out to any new faces we see, telling them what help is available in Southampton and I think we are making a difference to the homeless population. They interact with each other more, and tend to eat together now.”

“It’s not all doom and gloom,” adds Lynn. “It’s a great feeling when some of them move off of the streets into a place of their own – and we try to get them the basics to keep them going at that point, so a food parcel, kettle, toaster etc.

“And, we get to know some of them personally so can have a laugh with them along the way. Lots of them have a really good sense of humour – they haven’t lost it despite what they may be going through!”

Pete and Lynn are hoping to increase the work they do with the homeless in Southampton.

They prefer donations of food and required items, but have started a Go Fund Me campaign for anyone who would prefer to donate cash, and are hoping to raise enough to purchase a van to enable them to carry more supplies.

For more details, or to offer assistance or sponsorship, please visit the New Help the Homeless in Southampton on Facebook.

Daily Echo:

Pete with some of the food donated by the public

If you want to help the homeless of Southampton, here is a list of items Lynn and Peter are looking for in public donations:

Insulated cups

Foil trays

Plastic spoons and forks

Tea, coffee or hot chocolate

Bottled water

Squash

Biscuits

Long life milk

Jelly

Tinned vegetables or fruit

Soup (chicken is popular)

Rice

Meatballs or tinned meats

Crisps

Fresh fruit and vegetables

Toiletries, including sanitary towels, soap and antibacterial wipes

Rucksacks

Sleeping bags

Socks