As the Christmas season begins families everywhere will be getting ready to celebrate.

Whether it be with festive food, games by the Christmas tree or watching a film with a hot chocolate in hand it is now the season to be jolly.

However for some, this time of year can be the hardest of them all.

Thankfully, organisations such as Homeless Care, who run Maidstone Day Centre, in Knightrider Street, Maidstone are able to provide a helping hand to those in need.

This year the Kent Messenger is once again working with the charity to run our You Can Help campaign which helps to collect vital donations of food to help people during the winter season.

Last year the campaign saw it’s largest number of items donated, more than 30,000, since it started running 18 years ago.

Harry Sheridan is one of the clients at the centre and has been using the service for the last two months.

Born in Chatham and growing up in Maidstone, he was made homeless at just eight years old after a disagreement with his family.

While sipping his coffee he said: “I was a bit anxious to start with because I have never been able to trust anyone but it helps out a little bit just meeting people in the same situation.

“It was tough when I was younger, it was just the matter of finding mates to stay with, sleeping on sofas.”
By the time he was 11, Harry was involved with gangs and was running drugs across the county.

At 14 he became a dad. Sadly his partner died while giving birth and his daughter passed away shortly afterwards.

He said: “It was just the matter of pitching up a tent, getting blankets and coats to keep warm.

“It’s hard,I have been through some hard times.After that I started sorting my life out.”
During the same year, Harry was hit by a car and was left with muscle damage on one side of his body, making it difficult to get a job, despite being a fully trained barber and personal trainer.

When talking about the future he said: “Everyone wants to get off of the streets, its a tough life.

“I just want to to make other people happy

“This is a nice place and I would like to see it a bit bigger, so we could fit some more people in.

“I would love to have a little bus that we can take around the streets looking for people in need to give them food. I will do it one day.”

Zofia Grzymala, the centre’s homeless care manager, said: “This campaign is very important in raising awareness there are still homeless people in Maidstone.

“I want to say a massive thank you. People are giving everything they can - we wouldn’t be able to help without their generosity.”

The charity is asking for products such as, tinned fruits, long life milk, sandwich spread, crisps, drinks, tinned meats and festive foods. Staff would also be grateful for socks, boxer shorts, gloves,hats, scarves, handwarmers, flasks nail clippers, wet wipes ,tissues, tents, sleeping bags, rucksacks and blankets.

Donations can be made at The Kent Messenger office, 6-7 Middle Row, Maidstone, alongside the points listed below.

These are Sainsbury’s in Romney Place, Maidstone, Sainsbury’s in Quarry Wood Aylesford, Morrisons in Sutton Road, Maidstone and at New Hythe Lane in Larkfield, Maidstone Grammar School, Maidstone Girls Grammar School, Maplesden Noakes, Oakwood Park Grammar School and St Simon Stock.

Read more: all the latest news from Maidstone