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Louise Clifford
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Poet mum inspired by homeless Aldershot man

By Amy Taylor
December 28, 2012

A KIND-HEARTED mum was so moved by the plight of a homeless man in Aldershot that she turned to poetry.

Louise Clifford, who works at a car rental company in Aldershot, stopped to tend to a man begging for money outside McDonalds in the town centre and even bought him dinner that night.

The 42-year-old was so touched by the man's story that she went home and wrote a poem urging people to look out for more people like him.

“The number of people who just walk past and don’t care is awful,” she said. “I listened to him talk and it really hit home to me that anyone can lose their home.

“It was freezing cold, and I just thought, ‘my God, he’s out on the street’.

“I want people to stand up and take notice.

“If other people feel the same as me then maybe that situation won’t happen.”

Louise, whose children are aged 11, 15 and 19, has also spoken to her local councillor to see how she can help out in the community, and said she hoped that more people would do the same in 2013. “Think about how lucky we all are – I’ve got a house and my family, food in my tummy and in the fridge, and I should be grateful for that.”

Cllr Keith Dibble, who represents North Town where Louise lives, said: “I was very impressed by Louise. She will be a real asset to the local community.

“Her poem reflects the true spirit of Christmas by thinking of others less fortunate than herself. She has set an example we should all try to follow in 2013.

“Perhaps we should all make a New Year's resolution to think of others in our community before ourselves.”

Louise's poem:

He sleeps beneath the stars tonight.

The man that has no home.

The temperature is freezing.

He lies there all alone.

How can we just walk past

him?

He lives in our home town.

How would we feel if we were

him?

If we’d fallen so far down.