ALONE Behind Closed Doors - YouTube Video Link

Alone Behind Closed Doors (ABCD) was birthed out of my own journey and battle with clinical depression. The program started in 2016 as a simple idea to reach out to a few families and individuals who for various reasons abhor the thought of Christmas due to loneliness, financial difficulties, loss of loved ones and other challenging circumstances that trigger mental health disorders or depression.

I suffered from acute depression for some 35 years and very much aware not everyone has the mental capacity to leave their home, brace themselves and put on a brave face in order to spend Christmas with a friend, some people have no family or friends. There are those for whom attending a soup kitchen for Christmas dinner can heighten their predicament, making them feel worse upon returning to an empty home, this increase mental torment triggering longer bouts of depression.

Being surrounded by TV campaigns, shops, advertising and the like all centered around the festive season, when you have very little or nothing and struggle to see the bright side of the day can make Christmas, can make the festive season a very, very tough time for some, it was for me.

It is for this reason, every Christmas I choose to support as many families and individuals with the gifts and talents that I have been graced with. As a qualified Chef I provide loaded home cooked hampers with enough food, drinks, and snack to last up to a week for a single person and 2-3 days for a family. In some cases, we have been able to include supermarket food vouchers as a means to see the recipients into the New Year.

Each hamper is tailored made to the individual's or families dietary needs and ethnic background. Recipients are nominated by the general public who are familiar with the individual/family circumstances. We have had school and social services nominating families and individuals as well as independent friends and well-wishers.

The main purpose is to eliminate any areas of depression brought on by the stress of being unable to provide for themselves or a family over the festive period or individuals themselves who due to mental health are not looking forward to Christmas, therefore are not in a position physically ,mentality, emotionally or financially to support themselves.