I started working for The Big Issue in September 07 as a volunteer. In just a short time volunteering for the organization I had my eyes opened to a side of life I simply hadn’t appreciated before. I had, like so many, felt sorry for those ‘sleeping rough’ but had very little understanding of what life was really like for those coping with homelessness on a daily basis.

Perhaps one of the earliest lessons I learnt was that these people were exactly like me. No one is born into a life on the streets; most come from reasonably ‘ordinary’ backgrounds but one unfortunate incident, or one bad judgment on their part forced them into such a life, and they have since struggled to get out of it.

The reasons for becoming homeless are varied, but a huge number of Big Issue vendors have ended up on the streets because of a family breakdown, a death, or simply falling in with the wrong people. I soon found myself questioning my own preconceptions; every single one of us is only a step away from homelessness. It is not simply restricted to those with alcohol problems or drug addictions.

Getting back on your feet once you are made homeless is incredibly difficult. I have spoken to many vendors over the last few months who have told me stories of constant rejection and discrimination on the grounds of their homelessness. This is made sadder still when you hear it from someone who is genuinely trying to make things better for themselves. The unrelenting knock backs many vendors suffer destroy their self confidence and feeling of self-worth. I wonder how I would cope with such a situation. I believe that I, and many others would find it virtually impossible to continue with a smile, as so many do.

When working on Outreach I encountered vendors who had suffered verbal and physical abuse whilst trying to sell the magazine; something which shocked me when I first started but something that I have unfortunately learnt is not uncommon. Many have been spat at, some have been told to ‘get a job’ and every single one of them has been rejected and humiliated. Whist I am no longer as surprised by stories like this as I once was, I absolutely refuse to become desensitized to it.

Very soon after starting work at The Big Issue as a volunteer I felt a desire to become more involved in the work of the company. After just one week I knew that regardless of what happened in my life, I would always be in some way linked to The Big Issue.

My passion to be more involved in the work of The Big Issue is based on what I have learnt as a volunteer. It is a unique organization in that it is attempting to improve the situation of homeless people not through handouts (something that I feel only really works in the short term) but through providing people with a means of their own, legitimate income. In terms of being a volunteer, just being there for people to talk to about their day makes a huge difference to someone who inhabits a world in which they feel invisible. I recommend volunteering at The Big Issue to anyone keen to be instrumental in the changing of a desperate situation.