Today, on Random Acts of Kindness Day, London-based homeless charity Glass Door launches a new film as part of its ‘Just Say Hello’ campaign and asks for a small favour. The next time you see someone who is homeless, smile, say hello – and ask if they need anything or if you can buy them a hot drink or a bottle of water. You could even tell them about Glass Door and where its nearest day centre is.
There are many reasons why someone might become homeless – from the death of a loved one, being a survivor of human trafficking, to having a chronic illness. But one aspect that unifies them all is the feeling of loneliness and isolation that comes with homelessness.
Robert* testifies: “I feel the way people look at me on the streets is like I’m not worth anything.” As Maria* adds, “If nobody supports you, it is difficult to have hope. If nobody supports you, it is almost impossible to get off the streets.”. (*Please note names have been changed to protect identity.) Glass Door’s message is that by just smiling, or stopping to say hello, one can brighten their and your day, because we all benefit from small acts of kindness.

Not sure what to say or do?

Ask them how they’re feeling, and perhaps if they need anything like a bottle of water, a hot drink, or a meal;
Let them know about Glass Door and how the charity can help;
Rushing to work and don’t have time to stop? Help them feel seen with eye contact and a smile;
Refer them to Streetlink: the details you provide will be sent to the local authority or outreach service for the area to help them find the individual and connect them to support.
Safety should be your top priority, so only approach someone if you feel safe to do so, during the daytime and if there are plenty of people around.
For this campaign, Glass Door joined forces with Fresheather, a Creative Agency that created this animated video to raise awareness on a cause they care about. The Fresheather teams says: “Living in London and seeing people experiencing homelessness can become part of daily life. Homeless people often go unnoticed, and the public can seem desensitised to their situations. The team at Fresheather wanted to get involved with Glass Door to help spread the message of kindness, human connection and the importance of just saying hello.”

How to help Glass Door
Donate – big or small, to help people who are homeless access safety and warmth, as well as advice and support – www.glassdoor.org.uk
Look at the list of things we need on our website in case you can donate something;
Share our campaign on social media.