One of our regulars (I’ll call him Tom) turned up for breakfast without shoes or socks and wearing nothing warmer than a summer t-shirt. He wouldn’t say what had happened, but presumably he had some kind of trouble in the night and had to abandon some squat in a hurry.
Immediately, some of the other guys responded. One took off his own coat and gave it to Tom, and another rummaged in his bag to find a clean pair of socks. A third organised Tom a hot coffee and buttered him some toast.
All these guys have next to nothing of their own. All of them live one day at a time in desperate conditions. Yet two of them recognised how much more Tom was in need and shared the little they had, while a third stepped up to do the bit he could.
Before anyone worries too much more about Tom and the other guy who gave up his coat, I was able to help both out later. Thanks to some emergency relief supplies we can get access to, the other guys coat was replaced within a couple of hours. As to Tom, thanks to the supplies (largely provided by Local Church Parishes and charities) we were able to make good most of what he had lost. So by this afternoon he had a whole new kit including new boots, good second hand clothes and a new swag.
Now some photos, these are from Port Melbourne. Port Melbourne is sited on Port Phillip Bay at the mouth of the Yarra. It is a funny mix. In the past it was largely industrial and what housing was there was essentially slums. Now it is in the process of being shifted upmarket so you find:
Harbour facilities and warehouses.
Multi million dollar flats (apartments in American English),
Derelict piers,
And expensive boutique shopping where millionaires park their boats.
Now that is enough for tonight.
