Caring Asda colleague Gail helps homeless man find a safe place to stay

When our caring colleague Gail Greaves spotted a homeless man asleep in our Sheffield Chaucer Road store car park she immediately went to help – and thanks to her efforts he's now off the streets and has a safe place to stay.

After checking if the gentleman was okay, she got him a hot drink and then made telephone calls with homelessness organisations to see if they could find him shelter.

Gail, who works on the customer services desk, said: "I was on the way into work and pulled up in the car park and I saw at first what I thought was a pile of blankets so I went to investigate. When I get closer I realised that there was someone in there asleep.

"I gently asked the man if he was okay and asked if I could do anything to help him. He said, 'I'm homeless love and I'm just here because it's somewhere safe and I need to get a couple of hours' sleep'. I said, 'If you want I know of a couple of places that might be able to come out to help you' and did he want me to get in touch with them. Bless him, he had tears in his eyes."

She then went to get him a hot drink and managed to get hold of Homelessness in South Yorkshire Action who sent someone out to the store within the hour.

Forty-year-old Gail, who's worked at Asda Chaucer Road since it opened nine years ago, said: "The gentleman is now in supported accommodation and getting all the help that he needs.

"It was the right thing to do at the end of the day. I always have a belief that an act of kindness can make a difference to someone. I just always think that you should help people if you can.

"My colleagues here have been really nice and said what a lovely thing it was to do."

The action group posted on Facebook to thank Gail for what she'd done, saying: "Alan now has the keys to his new home and would personally like to say a massive thank you to Gail. She never gave up on him and Alan is now ready to start his new life."

Deputy store manager Chris Fletcher said: "It's just Gail's character to try to help wherever she feels she can. When other people may just walk past, she called it out and said that we could do something good.

"She got him a drink and made sure he was alright and got in contact with a homeless organisation and someone came out within the hour. The gentleman has now got the help that he needs and hopefully he's back on his feet."