As Rachel prepares to say goodbye to SFTS before returning to university, one guest’s story remains stuck in her mind:  “There was this Ugandan lady, let’s call her B;  she was in her sixties and had a heart condition. She finally chose to be repatriated – I guess she wanted to die in her home country – I helped raise funds to pay for her journey, and I went to the airport to see her off. I don’t know what happened in the end, but I’ve never forgotten her.

Londoner Rachel is full of energy, and her enthusiasm is infectious.  No wonder that after joining as a volunteer in early 2011, she soon took on more responsibility, becoming a shift leader and a key worker, which meant closer attention to individual cases.

Having completed a B.A. in theology, Rachel found that her first jobs – mainly in administration – involved hardly any direct personal contact. After arriving at the shelter in early 2011, however, she developed a passion for working with people.  “I learnt how to communicate, how to be patient, and I began to understand how people become homeless.

While she finds every case worrying, it’s the younger homeless that cause her particular concern:  “I know that I myself am just three steps away from where they are.” Her experience at the shelter helped Rachel find employment as a social worker, which in turn has led to her decision to leave London and study full-time for an M.A. in Social Work.

Rachel likes to think that, even though work at the shelter can feel like fire-fighting, it offers an honest approach with no false promises, and – above all – a safe environment:  “It’s a home.”   What will she miss?  “All the guests,” she says, “I got to know people well, and on their terms.

I was introduced to SFTS by my friend Jane about two years ago and have been a regular member of mighty Monday night shift ever since.

Considering the shelter is essentially a big shed in the middle of an industrial estate in central London it is pretty miraculous how homely and relaxed it always feels. By about 6.30pm most of the guests have arrived and not long after we are all doing what many families around the country do every evening at home; sitting down to dinner, chatting, laughing and arguing about what to watch on the TV.

It is the ability of the shelter to create such an atmosphere that makes it so special and successful. The recognition that our guests need practical help, but also, a place to relax, feel safe where they can receive a little extra care and support seems to make all the difference.

Phoebe was introduced to the shelter by her dancer friend, Andrew, who also volunteers.

She has been with us for six months and is proud to newly have become a key worker and looks forward to hopefully being a useful ally to the guests. She also really enjoys working with the other volunteers, who she finds are a very special group of no-nonsense, diverse people. She is in awe of Sheila and Louis, who set up and run the shelter – and wishes that the world was full of more people who had their energy and balls. She is proud (and a bit surprised, never liking doing her own) to be a demon bed-maker, and lives in fear of being called up for cooking duty. She salutes all the chefs who each night conjure up, from what can be eclectic ingredients, a meal that is happily wolfed down by guests and volunteers together.

She feels absolutely privileged to be a part of the shelter community which does vital work and where at any one time – and often all at the same time – there can be a noisy pool game, intense philosophy class, industrial macaroni cheese production, important life-changing conversations and honky-tonk piano playing.

Anthony doesn’t like to remember how he came to be homeless, the memories are too painful. Besides, it is all behind him now, in his past. For the last year he has been working as an administrator for a film production company, a role he got through the shelter.

Now he comes back each Monday to work as a volunteer, using his own experience to help people stuck in similar situations. “The people at the shelter taught me never to give up on myself,” he says. “It took the pressure off me, gave me the space and time to get myself together.” He says that’s a rare luxury. Most shelters in London make people move on after a fixed amount of time. “The shelter gave me the opportunity to help myself. If it wasn’t for that place, I could be dead now.”

“I guess it’s the guests that make volunteering so worthwhile. I can be in bad mood after a hard day at work but as soon as I step inside the shelter, I can’t take the smile off my face.

“I did the overnights for over a year and I loved it; I wanted to become more involved in the running of the shelter so asked if I could become a key worker. I found this amazingly satisfying and I feel I’ve learned so much from the guests and the other volunteers.

“It started me thinking about a career change and I’m just about to start work with a major London charity where I’ll be working with ex offenders. Shelter from the Storm has helped me grow as a person and I can’t wait to start my new job.”