Update in Coronavirus times...
We thought you’d like to hear an update from us as to how the virus crisis has effected our connections with the boys. We’ve not been able to visit the boys for a couple of weeks now due to lock down in France and the ruling for no crowds to form. We tried handing out food from the ambulance for one session but the reality is that what we do does cause a group/crowd to congregate and it’s extremely hard to manage this any differently. But each day the boys are in our hearts and thoughts and we’re thinking about how we can support and still provide in this season of lockdown in France.
The Red Cross operate a food distribution for 20 mins each day that is allowed by the government for people on the streets. But my concerns are for refugees living in very rough conditions who probably need more than just food to stay well and healthy. One of the boys from Somalia is helping us to make contact with those who might need some help and our idea at present is to try and organise some internet shops and deliveries. It’s not straight forward but it’s something we are thinking through.
We need to think creatively in this season and we desire to support those we know need our help; so the challenge now is to be able to make the connections needed in lockdown conditions and find solutions using the internet delivery systems if possible.
There will be so many refugees seeking ways to survive in this very rough climate without homes to shelter in or running water to wash their hands. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and if you have ideas or have found ways to help in lock down conditions do drop us a line.
The boys we have got to know have shown amazing capacities to adapt, create temporary family groups, fight despair and press through in extraordinary hardships so I pray they will find safe places, the sun will come out to keep them warm and those who do pass by them on the streets will be generous with what they have.
It’s a time to be more generous than ever and to keep the most vulnerable in our hearts and find new creative ways though this crisis to care for everyone around us. There are charities around us all who are working hard at the moment to think all this through, and we are thinking, listening and praying for those new ways to become clear.
Stay in touch.
