<p>Over the last couple of years, we have raised over &pound;2,500 for the victims of the 2008-2009 Gaza War and over &pound;3,000 for the victims of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. Though we have not followed the pennies and seen lives transform, we know that through the gracious donations of many students and staff at the University of York (and many friends and family of those involved) we have made a big difference to many people.</p> <p>But people living in dire need are not confined to poverty-stricken areas of the world, to third-world countries and to whatever stories we see in the news.&nbsp;<a title="here" href="http://www.unicefusa.org/assets/pdf/Children-in-Haiti-One-Year-After.pdf" target="_blank">People are still in dire need in Haiti</a>, for instance. And, closer to home, people are living in the streets, suffering from health problems and putting up with one of the coldest winters on record.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>York ArcLight works with homeless people in York, not just putting them in beds but getting them back on their feet. With Council budget cuts removing more support from York's homeless, projects such as ArcLight are essential. Please donate and make a massive difference to the lives of the underclass, the people living in York that are so poor they barely count as a statistic. We're living in a fairly well-off city (especially compared to many areas of the world) but that doesn't mean that we can neglect our own neighbourhood.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>