“In the early hours of Thursday morning my boyfriend and I were out in minus (weather) conditions waiting for the train station gates to open, only to realise we would have to wait 4 hours for them to open. In our drunken state we had gotten confused and missed the last train. After waiting for a while it’s getting pretty nippy. Only for a voice from behind me to say ‘You can burrow my coat and duvet if you want? It’s a long wait and it’s freezing tonight’ I turn round and see Joey for the first time. I jump straight under the duvet and thank Joey for his kind offer as Taylor gives me the look.

Yes he was “homeless” but after spending the past 5 days with Joey I despise even considering him as “homeless” Joey is our friend, and he was just down on luck. After Taylor and I sat with Joey waiting for our train, there was just something about him that was so sincere I couldn’t leave him out there on his own. No one deserves to be out in these conditions. I’m not saying that you should trust everyone you meet on a street corner, but who exactly should you trust? Because Joey was “homeless” people were quick to judge and even though I do understand why people panic, but why should it be that way? Why have we let it get this way? It doesn’t need to be this way. We are all the same, the same beginning the same end. Just some people carry more paper than the next in between. Just because someone is “homeless” it doesn’t make them any less of a person than me or you and it doesn’t mean that all “homeless” people are drug or alcohol abusers, not all homeless people should be instantly tarnished as bad people. They are just like me and you.

I told Joey that I refused to leave without him, at first he declined in dismay at the offer of coming back home with my boyfriend and I to have a good night kip, a shower and shave and a good old meal. He thought I was joking.. I really wasn’t. It took Taylor to explain that if you don’t come with us I’m not going to get her home. Joey finally accepted. We get a cab home and much to Joeys horror he ends up in the cabin in the woods, in the middle of nowhere (I can’t even begin to imagine what he must first initially of thought) Joey put all his trust into us. As much as we put all our trust into him.

We drank some more, we talked for hours, we exchanged life stories and instantly became the best of friends. It’s something I can’t even explain, it was just meant to be. I don’t expect everyone to get it. Before the night is over, before Joey had his first night in a bed- Joey offers the coat on his back as a token gift to my boyfriend as a thank you, as a token of his appreciation. In my eyes this gift had such a powerful meaning behind it more than any ever gift you could ever receive.

Morning comes and I’ve somehow got to tell my mum I’ve brought a “homeless guy” back to our “cabin in the woods” You can imagine how my mum was probably feeling, probably fuming that my boyfriend and I have brought a stranger into their home. However being the kindest soul I know she would immediately come round. As soon as she met him she understood why we had done what we had done. I knew she would understand.

We invite Joey to meet some of our friends who (all initially said that we was CRAZY) but now all completely understand and have all fallen in love with him. He helps my mum feed the horses, he has a roast dinner!!! We treat him as we would treat anyone else. We have faith in him, we help him. But more importantly we give him our time and friendship. But most importantly he taught us what life really is, he taught us what real friends are and I can honestly say that it’s the most amazing feeling I’ve ever felt.

Joey, in 5 days had a job interview,, I can now confirm that he has a job. IN 5 DAYS!!! Joey is now not living on the streets!!!! All he needed was someone to have faith in him and to help be that stepping stone to make a difference to someone’s life. I’m so blessed to have been a part of getting him off the streets.
Because at the end of the day we all have the ability to be good people.”