Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hello!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you for visiting my Just Giving page.</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sponsored Sleepout at St Albans Abbey Cathedral is an annual event supporting 7 homeless charities. Sleepout has raised over £300,000 for homeless people since 1994, and I am hoping to add to this figure.</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sponsored sleepout is an opportunity to experience what it might be like to be homeless this winter, whilst raising money for my chosen charity DENS - a shelter that I have been volunteering at for the past few years and a subject that is very close to my heart. </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There may be some of you out there that think that homelessness is the direct result of drink and / or drug misuse. This is not surprising and there will be many thousands of people that have little pity because of this. But my eyes were opened wider to the deeper causes of homelessness when I was a teenager, which drove me to begin volunteering for DENS. </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have met so many lovely service users during my time at DENS, each with a very different story.....breakdown in family relationships, divorce, job loss, death and mental health issues are just some of the difficulties faced, and the catalyst for a period of time 'on the streets'.</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In just three simple steps; 1. lose your job, </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2. can't pay rent / mortgage, 3. relationship breaks down - you could find yourself in this situation. It could happen to any of us.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The event hopes to raise awareness of homelessness and the issues homeless people face. I would encourage you to spread the news and challenge others ways of thinking in order to support the inspirational work these charities do.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you so much,</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Laura x</span></span></p>
<p> </p>