I still remember the first time I really saw someone sleeping rough and understood the full implications of their plight.

I was 18, walking through the tunnels near Aldgate Station, and I was struck by the injustice of it all – people sleeping in the cold just beneath the towering banks of London’s financial district. That contrast between extraordinary wealth and desperate need has stayed with me ever since.

Years later, I now work for Webber Street, and while I’ve learned much, that sense of injustice hasn’t gone away. What has changed is my understanding of how we can help – and it starts with seeing people as individuals, not problems to be solved.

The people we walk alongside at the Webber Street Centre have not had an easy life. People like Anna*. She first came to Webber Street many years ago, in need of help and community.

She’d had a tough journey – addiction, instability, and isolation. But what she found at Webber Street wasn’t just a service. She found people who cared. People who saw her as someone made in God’s image. People who didn’t give up on her, even when things got messy.

Today, Anna has been sober for more than a year, is in stable housing, and in a welcoming church fellowship with people who have not only accepted but embraced here. Her story is a powerful reminder that through Jesus, change is possible – but it takes time, consistency, and love.

So how can we help others like Anna? Here are three things I’ve learned:

1. Start with Relationships

One of the biggest gaps I see is community. We must not underestimate the role that kindness and fellowship plays in journeying with highly vulnerable and marginalised people who are experiencing homelessness.

Professional services can offer housing and healthcare, but they often miss the relational support that people need to thrive. Many who end up on the streets do so because they lacked someone they could turn to during a crisis.

We don’t need to become social workers to help. We just need to be a friend. Build respectful relationships. Listen without judgment. Ask questions like “What are your hopes?” instead of “Why are you here?” It’s about treating others with dignity, not only about diagnosing problems.

2. Journey Together, Not Alone

Helping someone isn’t a solo mission. I always encourage people to start with prayer and ask, “Who else in my church or community shares this ministry?”

Go out together. Find places where people who are marginalised and vulnerable feel safe – food banks, outreach centres, or shelters – and meet them there.

And expect setbacks. This isn’t a quick fix. It’s a long journey, and there will be ups and downs. But consistent love and presence can make all the difference.