Homelessness and Halloween?
I love Halloween.
The costumes and parties, a whole month of horror films (in my house this is a hard and fast rule!) and seeing the kids having fun on our street filling their bags and baskets with goodies.
When I was asked to write something for Halloween, I thought to myself ‘how do I connect Halloween with CoLab’? Then it came to me, and it was unfortunately easier than I thought…
Halloween is a time when we seek out fear for fun — haunted houses, scary movies, eerie costumes. But for many people in our community, fear isn’t entertainment. It’s a constant reality.
When the decorations come down and the laughter fades, countless individuals are left to face real-life frights: dark streets, cold nights, and the loneliness of having nowhere to call home.
Many years ago, I found myself in this position and on reflection, I think I can relate to what being a ghost might feel like. People see through you, look past you as if you don’t exist, you might even frighten some people just for appearing in front of them.
Monsters and devils are also common characters we see at this time of year and again I can relate to this. The monster was dependency, big and scary, constantly hungry and not something you want to confront. The devil was addiction, whispering in your ear, jabbing their fork into your brain until you give into their constant demands.
We all enjoy a good thriller, not knowing what will happen next, the fear of the unknown. I guess you could say sleeping rough is like an unending thriller. Not knowing what will happen next, not knowing where will be safe to get your head down for a few hours, whats lurking round the corner? You get the idea. Trick or Treat?
At CoLab, I feel privileged to see everyone work every day to bring warmth and safety to those who need it most. Our amazing staff offer reassurance, community, and a path towards rebuilding a life.
Halloween reminds us that fear is something we can laugh at when we feel safe — when we have warmth, light, and comfort to return to. But for too many, fear is constant and comfort is out of reach.
This October, let’s look beyond the costumes and sweets to the people who truly need our care and attention.
Together, we can try to make sure no one is left in the cold, no one is invisible, and no one has to face uncertainty and the darkness alone.
If you’re in a position to, please hit the donate button or think about volunteering some time to help others, think less trick and more treat!
Happy Halloween!
Andrew Rees, Wellbeing Exeter Coordinator