Once you meet someone, you never really forget them.

As part of my job, I get to know many people who I'll probably never meet. I read and hear their stories - all very real and genuine. We find out about those stories via our phone conversations with them or the online giving pages created. More often than not we also receive notes, letters, photographs along with the donations. The response we receive from the members of the public to the natural disaster and attacks, war and famine is overwhelmingly touching. The essence of all the goodwill is simple; "hope". I hope this little contribution to those who lost their houses at the hurricane. We hope you can give this money to the Syrian children. I hope it helps healing the wounds of the victims of the fire. The challenges people take on to raise funds and awareness are incredible - people running marathons for 6-7 hours (can you imagine!? I can't), cycling to Syria from the UK, school kids holding cake sales and some kids even give up on technology and games for a month to receive sponsorships. The time and effort spent is great, commitment is admirable and the achievements are incredible. In my mind, these are all vigorous and rejoicing acts.

There are also donations from the funerals which are in a way sadder but still hopeful. Hope lays in the possibility of making something better for someone else. Most of the time all we know is the name of the deceased and their next of kin but sometimes a family member or a dear friend writes us to celebrate the life of the person they lost by describing shortly what kind of person they were and the life they led. These I find the most touching but yet fulfilling as everyone deserves their story to be told and be acknowledged for their good deeds.

Sometimes we share some stories among ourselves. A thank you from a supporter or a letter from a donor. There's again been an email circulating around recently who took a collection at a funeral of a lady who sadly passed away - Mrs G!

Mrs G had a tough life growing up in an orphanage and ending up in the streets, malnourished and vulnerable for sometime with other displaced people and mostly resenting her father for abandoning her as a toddler. Our outlook on life depends so much on how family and friends have treated us when growing up. After many years of searching, the truth of her father was revealed to her thanks to the endeavours of the B.R.C in collaboration with the Salvation Army. Mrs G managed to turn her life around after she found out more about her father. Here's a part from the letter written by her daughter-in-law:

"Despite her difficult start Mrs G went on to marry a wonderful man and raise a family of five children, and during both the good and bad times which followed Mrs G's love for her own family remained unshakeable. Throughout her life however Mrs G remained adamant that the British Red Cross saved her life as a child, and latterly restored to her the memory of her father as a loving man whom it seems lost his life saving the life of a wounded priest and assisting other displaced civilians, rather than as a man who merely deserted his daughter during the difficulties of wartime."

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Today is the last day of the #milesforrefugees. The campaign I've been supporting and fundraising for by traveling 111 in my own steam during the month of September. There's still time to donate though! Check out my page and read my story here https://miles-for-refugees.everydayhero.com/uk/tugba

A quick link to find out more about the service itself, have a look at Find-my-missing-family.

I hope we can all help for more families to reunite!