At one time or another we must all have all come into contact with the reality of homelessness and been affected by what we have seen. According to homeless agencies, in London alone there were around 3,500 people sleeping rough last year, so the problem continues to make its presence known on our streets. 6 year-old Sam, a student at Lancastrian Primary School in Chichester, was so troubled by the homeless people he saw on a recent trip to the capital that he decided to take action. He created a book based on the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, complete with illustrations of his favourite sports, which he then sold to friends and family to raise money in aid of the homeless. Thanks to lots of hard work and determination Sam managed to raise £60 from his book sales! With the help of his parents he found Stonepillow, to whom he has decided to donate the money to help people in his local area.  
 
Director of Operations Sylvie Johnston accepted Sam’s generous donation on behalf of Stonepillow. She says: “Meeting young people like Sam always reminds me that homelessness is really wrong and that we all have a responsibility to ensure that it is ‘put right’. Sam wanted to make a difference and he did; he also reminded me how important it is to act to help others instead of accepting or ignoring the status quo. 
 
Thank you Sam for caring; you are a very special young man and I so enjoyed meeting you.”
 
If you have been inspired by Sam’s story and would like to raise money to help homeless people in your area we would love to hear from you. Please call us on 01243 537934 or e-mail admin@stonepillow.org.uk