Elderly Woman Found Sleeping Rough Catches Social Media's Attention

An elderly woman was seen sleeping rough on the streets of Machester, U.K., with only a comforter to keep her warm. She has now found a shelter after volunteers stepped in.

The woman, identified only as Anne, was first spotted by volunteers from the Don't Walk Past organization. The group feeds homeless people with hot meals several times per week. Last October 27, they came across Anne, who they believe is in her 60s. They saw her shivering while sitting on a sheet of tarpaulin on Market Street. It was unclear how the elderly woman ended up on the streets.

Confused and scared

They described her as very confused and scared at the time they saw her. She was also freezing cold and only had a duvet to keep her warm. One of the volunteers, Lauren Jones, offered to help her but still did not force her to decide. She said they made a few phone calls and handed her their card to let her know they could help.

While some people critiqued that she could have the woman stay with her, Jones explained that it wasn't that simple. When she got home, she was still thinking about the woman. Ms. Jones took a photo of her heartbreaking situation and shared it on social media.

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Her heartbreaking situation caught social media attention

The photo went viral, and she said that while she knew it was distressing, it was powerful. Still, she only realized that it could touch the hearts of so many people after it went viral and shared more than 2,000 times. 

Jone and the other volunteers went back out on the streets Wednesday to search for Anne, who is understood to have been homeless for about a week. They also altered the council and had outreach teams looking for her too. The council said that searching for her is a priority so that they could find her accommodation and provide all the support at their disposal.

And then the volunteers found her still out there on the streets. Anne said that she had been mover on from Pically Gardens, and it was scary for her. There were lots of noises she said and that it was  like "Armageddon."

The organization said they are still trying to find out how Anne ended up on the streets. They gave her a new phone with a new SIM card. However, they said they couldn't force her to do anything; it's about gaining her trust.

She is now off the streets

Anne was initially offered accommodation outside the city center, but she wasn't comfortable there. The group then decided to let her stay in a hotel for a few days and pay for the bill themselves until a permanent solution is found.

Don't Walk Past charity founder Ronny English that Anne is now safe and off the streets. Social services are expected to step in. He said that would mean that the elderly woman will have a place in a hostel or sheltered housing. He added that the woman has a few mental health problems and paranoid that people were following her.

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