Lorena Hodgson

I’d like to talk about my Dad. He came to England from India at age 17. He had a brutal childhood- he’s refused to talk us kids about it but part of his childhood involved living on the streets as a child in India Coming to England saved his life. Literally. He has worked - shop keeper, then taxi driver & has contributed to tax his whole life here. He refused to charge people for his taxi service when they visited hospitals, students who felt unsafe walking at night etc. He worked 7 days a week, and we lived month to month. My Mum, at the age of 64, still works full time as an insurance broker & has also paid tax her entire working life. My Dad retired at the age of 70 during the pandemic as he was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully he’s currently in remission 🙏 As soon as he was given the “all clear” he could finally pursue his dream - to feed those in need. At the age of 70 he asked my Mum to teach him how to cook. Every Tuesday he buys food to feed about 100/200 homeless people a week. He wakes up at 3am every Wednesday to cook the food, package & distribute it with a team of volunteers who also provide them warm clothing, cut their hair etc with nothing but love. The volunteers are from all backgrounds, all colours, all ethnicities as are the people they serve. He is the kindest, most compassionate person I know. To have people judge him based on the colour of his skin breaks my heart beyond measure.