Meet the woman selflessly helping homeless people across Preston

Hot meals are prepared by Lo, and then distributed to people on the streets

A Preston woman has been cooking food in her home to distribute to the homeless for years.

Lo Parsons delivers hot meals, along with essentials such as masks, sanitisers and wipes to ensure people feel as safe as possible.

Lo parks her car near St. George’s Centre, heads to Fishergate and then Friargate giving out hot drinks, snacks and home cooked meals to those who need it most.

Each weekend, she takes the time to speak to those living on the streets to understand what their needs are, and to give them a listening ear.

She will then provide them with things they require, such as thermal gloves and woolly hats.

To mark the festive period, she will be giving out Christmas dinners, along with a selection box and bags of essentials.

Lo Parsons donates food, and is giving homeless people a little extra over the Christmas period

Lo has received a donation of 11 vortex weather-proof jackets from Harlequin Team Wear worth £120 each.

This donation will ensure that some homeless Prestonians will be warmer this winter.

So far, she has been helping the homeless with her own money but Lo, who currently works for the NHS Test and Trace helpline, started a fundraiser to ensure she can help as many people as possible for as long as possible.

Her fundraiser has now ensured she will be able to help homeless people until March 2021.

Initially, Lo wanted to raise £100 to ease some of the financial pressure to herself, but has far surpassed that target raising nearly £600.

Lo said: “It’s really lousy being on the streets when everyone else seems like they’re having fun at Christmas.

“I want to give them hot meals to ensure they can feel somewhat comforted, and not just at this time of year.

“I like to spend time with the people on the streets to understand what they want and need and I then I try to provide it for them.

“The donations will help me to keep helping homeless people in Preston.”

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Proud Preston. This, and many stories like it, show how the people of Preston are making a difference. Our Proud Preston section showcases all the charitable, kind, uplifting and great things about our city and the people who live here. #ProudPreston is alive and well, and there’s much to celebrate and be proud of, despite the challenging times we all face.

What do you think of Lo’s efforts? Let us know in the comments.