Christmas is indeed the ultimate season of love, caring and sharing. It’s the time of the year when more people give back to their community and help those who are in need.
Mark Burgess of Llanrumney is one of those many people who truly embodied that Christmas spirit. Burgess, a 35-year-old owner of a repairs and recoat company for architectural metal, built a shelter in form of a cabin for people to sleep in. He made it as a Christmas present for the homeless so they can spend their Christmas Eve out of the street.
The wooden shelter that Burgess created can be moved around on wheels. The handle on the other end of the cabin can be pulled whenever you wanted to move. It has a good working ventilation system, adjustable insulation, battery-operated light and fire alarm system. This tiny home also has a good working lock system that can provide safety and security for the homeless while they are asleep. It can be locked from the inside and out so people can also leave their things inside.
After finishing the shelter and making sure it’s all set and ready, Mark started looking for people sleeping on the streets to ensure they had a nice, dry and more comfortable place to wake up in the morning of Christmas.
Mark walk around his community on Christmas Eve to find someone who can use the shelter. He found a homeless couple – Sion, 34 years old, Sherrie, 28 and their dog Taff sitting on the cold street.
“I walked around Cardiff on Christmas Eve and when I got to St Mary Street I saw a couple with a dog. I talked to them for a while and even though I had built it for one person they seemed keen so I took the guy to see it.” Mark said.
“He was really happy about the shelter. It can be pulled like a wheelbarrow but it has removable wheels so they can take the wheels off if they find a spot.” He added.
After seeing the smiles on the couple’s face, Mark has decided to build more mobile cabins to help more homeless people, most especially now that the temperature is falling. He wanted to create a similar style shelter using lighter materials as the one he just built was quite heavy.
“The one I just made was quite heavy. I could pull it but an older person would struggle so I want the next one to be lighter. This one cost around £350 so I’m trying to raise money to make the next one.” Mark said.
“I want to continue making more so that more homeless people can have a dry and safe place to stay.” He added.
(via metro.co.uk , justgiving.com, Mirror UK)
