Roofer Transforms Company Vans into Homeless Shelters During Cold Spell

AS TEMPERATURES dropped below freezing across the UK last week, a St Helens roofer opened his vans as temporary shelters for the homeless.

Jon Atherton, owner of roofing firm The Roof Rangers, reached out via Facebook offering a warm place to sleep for those in need.

Jon removed the tools from his van and replaced them with mattresses and heaters to create a temporary respite for homeless people looking for a place to shelter.

Speaking to The Guide Liverpool, Jon said, “Nobody should be out there dying of cold when you can so easily do something about it.

“I’ve had my ups and downs in life, I’ve slept in my car for a few nights, and I would have liked to have thought there was someone out there to help me.”

Temporary Homeless Shelters

Jon was prompted into action when he spotted homeless people huddled up against a building in the frosty weather whilst driving through the town centre.

“They just had cardboard over the top of them and they were shaking,” Jon recalled. “I drove home but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. They were playing on my mind.

“So I got the tools out of my vans and bought mattresses and quilts, and got heaters to create shelters for them for the night.”

Jon set up two vans, one outside his house in St Helens and the other outside a friend’s home in Thatto Heath. He then got in touch with as many homeless people as could, providing them with food and regular brews and welcoming them to have a wash in his house.

“One night when I went to bed there were two people in the van outside mine and in the morning there were five – and a dog,” he said.

As well as setting up the temporary shelters in his vans for four nights, John also bought 30 pairs of gloves, hats, hot water bottles and flasks and handed them out to people he met on the streets.

“I have been lucky with my company and I can help. It sounds daft, but I feel I was destined to do this.

“I’m just trying to make a difference. These are just people who have been dealt a bad hand.

“A couple of years ago I was sleeping in my car and then ended up in a house share briefly when my marriage broke down. It was rough – but at least I ended up with a warm bed for the night. It’s not a nice place to be in, and I don’t want anyone else to feel like I did.”

Jon currently sets aside 20% of The Roof Rangers’ profits to help those in need. He hopes to set up his own charity in the future.

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