I’ve spent every New Year’s Eve for five years running a homeless shelter

At 9pm on New Year’s Eve, mum-of-two Kar will say goodbye to her family, and head out the door.

But she’s not off to watch fireworks or sing Auld Lang Syne with friends, instead she’s about to embark on a 10-hour shift at a homeless shelter in London.

This will be the fifth year in a row that Kar has volunteered at a Crisis at Christmas hotel — free accommodation offered by Crisis, for those facing homelessness at this time of year.

Volunteers provide a warm welcome, as well as food and a listening ear. Last year, more than 600 people stayed in their three hotels across London.

‘I keep coming back because I feel like I’m a part of something bigger,’ Kar tells Metro.

She adds that she was inspired to volunteer after going through a challenging time herself.

‘My eldest was a surprise baby,’ Kar shares. ‘I was quite young at the time and it was an extremely unexpected situation.

‘That was very challenging, and I felt very lucky that I’d been supported by family,’ she says.

Pregnant while still at university, Kar explains how, had it not been for both her and her partner’s families rallying together and providing support, she could have found herself in a very different situation.

She notes: ‘I could have easily ended up on benefits, waiting for housing for years. But I didn’t, I was incredibly fortunate.

‘I wanted to pay that kindness forward for people who hadn’t had that help or support like me.’

After going to an information session to learn more about volunteering with Crisis, Kar picked up her first shift in December 2006.

In the almost 20 years since, alongside her day job as an IT consultant, Kar has volunteered for Crisis. In 2020, she began picking up the New Year’s Eve night shift.

‘For me, volunteering on New Year’s Eve is a really nice way to open the year, doing a tiny, tiny bit to help someone over the edge — it makes me feel positive moving forward.’

What does a night shift at Crisis on New Year’s Eve look like?

Kar will arrive at the Crisis hotel at 10pm, and will stay there until 8:30 am, seeing in the New Year with the guests and other volunteers.

‘The pace is much calmer at night,’ she says. During the day, the teams host events, such as football matches, or bring in dentists and doctors to offer check-ups. In the evening, it’s about companionship.

While there might be the assumption that night shifts are more risky for volunteers – and can therefore be the hardest to fill – Kar says she always feels safe.

‘Especially as a woman, I can understand why it might seem intimidating. But Crisis have a lot of procedures that mean you never volunteer alone, they give us walkie talkies, supervise at all times, and make sure it always feels like a really safe environment.

‘The night shifts are more relevant for why I volunteer — to build connections with people, talk to people. To humanise with one another and have that community.

‘Smaller conversations can be really powerful, for a lot of our guests it’s the first time someone’s initiated that chat human to human.’

Kar says that at night, people who might be struggling to settle or feel uncertain will usually hover by the tea and coffee points, looking for a chat or some affirmation.

‘If you’ve been in a really difficult situation, to be valued and have your opinion heard and know someone is genuinely interested in your point of view, can make such a difference,’ adds Kar.

‘I’ve seen some of our guest’s walls drop and suddenly see that someone is actually interested and cares. I hope it encourages someone to ask for help again when they need it.’

New Year’s Eve at Crisis might not involve a countdown or fireworks, but what it does do is make sure guests are well-rested so that the next few steps after the hotels close for year, are more manageable.

While Christmas Day is amazing and full of festivities, during the New Year’s Eve shifts, Kar shares how volunteers prioritise making sure every guest has utilised all the facilities while they’re still open and available.

She explains: ‘After Christmas, it’s time for us to go, “ok what’s the next step for you.” We need to try and get them appointments and the help they need.’

Kar recalls interacting with one particular guest who had been in high spirits over Christmas, wearing a festive hat every day and being ‘really happy and joyous.’

But as it crept closer to the New Year, Kar noted how he ‘became really withdrawn and anxious.’ This then prompted the night team to chat with him and as it turns out, he was really concerned about what was going to happen next.

‘We made sure we woke him up on time, got him to an appointment with the team, and he was a lot cheerier after that – a bit stronger.’

Ultimately, Kar says she continues to volunteer at Crisis because no one can ever truly know what life may throw at them.

‘I remember one year, a guest said to me, “I can’t believe you’re here, when you could be with your kid and your family.”

‘But I would love to think that someone would do this for my kid. If they were in a particular situation, I would want someone out there to help my child.

‘All kinds of things happen to people, and all kinds of situations happen. The kindness of just taking a few days and make tea and talk to people is something I hope my own child would have access to.

‘Our guests are someone’s child, and I can help.’

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