My friend and I has a per previous post arranged dinner for a lot of families/individuals in need in the week coming up to Christmas.
We then had the last one collected on Christmas eve at approx 2pm.
It was then our turn to set to and sort our own Christmas out for our families.
I am renound for being last minute for shopping and last year was no exception off I went to buy gifts, food shop, I managed all of it in around 2 hours just as well really as the shops do close early!!!
On arriving back I started to wrap presents and kept an eye on the turkey which I always cook for far longer than is needed but like it cooked long and slowly on Christmas eve, my friend was doing much the same at her house.
We recieved an email from a lady at around 7pm, she was in a sorry state, her partner had attacked her and she wanted some advice on where she could go on Christmas eve, her partner had been arrested but it was unclear if he would be held overnight or bailed until after Christmas so she needed to leave as a matter of urgency.
You may or may not know but the Refuge is usually full and on Christmas eve if your local one is full then there is little option of travelling to another one.
We had an added difficulty in that this poor lady had a range of pets that she would not leave and requested that we try to rehome them, yes on Christmas eve, there were 7 altogether, so we set about mailing people and posting in our usual way for urgent help, thankfully the help was offered in abundance.
I set off to drive to the ladies house where I would meet a male friend of ours who insisted that I shouldnt go alone, good advice from him.
We arrived and it was pouring with rain and seems very cold it was now approx 9pm.
The lady came to the door and just sobbed, I gave her a cuddle, from there our male friend met everyone who was coming to take the pets and sorted that out whilst I made sure that the lady had all of her important items, bank card, passport, any other id she might have and also any imprtant pictures, this came from v.painful experience when I went into a refuge and lost every single baby picture of 2 of my children, everything else can be replaced but pictures cannot.
My friend that was still at home was co-ordinating emails etc from this end and we managed to find a family that this lady knew who quite by chance we had provided Christmas dinner for who were willing and able to take this lady in for Christmas.
We finished sorting everything out at around 2am.
Was it worth it, oh yes, I would do it again if asked as would my friend, to know that one person is safe was definitely worth everything.
I should add that this lady now has a new life a long way from here and we hope that she will be very happy.
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