Rachel's act of kindness helps homeless man secure shelter

When our caring colleague Rachel Cunningham saw a homeless man sitting outside in the cold by our Middleton store in Leeds she just knew she had to do something to help him.

She got him a hot chocolate and a slice of pizza from our cafe, as well as buying and filling up a hot water bottle for him, before contacting a local homelessness group to get him shelter for the night – and he's now being assessed for housing.

Rachel, who's the store's community champion, said: "I'd just popped outside to get another trolley for our food bank donations when I saw him sitting on the ground. I knelt down and had chat with him and learned that he was living in a tent and he was hungry.

"It was very cold. I couldn't just walk by – no way.

"I got him some hot food and a drink and filled up a hot water bottle for him and then, using my community contacts, got hold of the homeless outreach team who managed to get him a bed in a hotel on the other side of Leeds. I don't think anyone should be homeless, not in this day and age."

Store manager Hugh Clarke, who nominated Rachel for an Asda award, says he and his colleagues at the store are "mega proud" of her actions.

He said: "She bought hot food for the man out of her own pocket and then took the trouble to phone around the homeless shelters in Leeds for him. I don't think a lot of people would do that, but that's just the sort of person Rachel is. It was an amazing act of kindness."