Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 96 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
At the end of a long day battling the elements as part of our Winter Wellbeing outreach programme, our team climbed several flights of stairs and knocked on a neighbour’s door. Most people who we meet through Winter Wellbeing are initially apprehensive; many have never received a knock on the door from someone simply how they are. Masoud opened the door with a broad smile, and after telling him who we were and the purpose of our winter work, he invited me into his home.
Masoud immediately insisted that we share a coffee and as we snacked on some delicious dates Masoud shared his story too. He’d had to leave his home and family in Kuwait and felt alienated from his community. He was worried that people didn’t understand him and he struggled to make friends as a result.
After talking about a shared love for London and football he opened up about health and financial challenges he was having, and we discussed how North London Cares might be able to help. At the end of our conversation Masoud said: ‘I am happy to have met you, you understand me. I felt like I had no one looking out for me, now I feel I have a friend.’
It was a highlight of 2016 for so many reasons, but mainly because it was an example of how our personal approach allows us to meet and connect with those who might feel left behind by the pace and anonymity of our age. We hope the connection will help Masoud feel that our community is a welcoming one and that he feels more confident that he can make friends and connections in the future.
Masoud’s warmth, generosity and openness was humbling and in a year where so many events have divided people it was a happy reminder of the power of interaction and storytelling to bring people together.