I'm not sure if I've ever blogged about Street Angels, but I don't think so. So, here it is!

Last Friday was my last night out as a Street Angel. Here I am in my ridiculously oversized hi-vis jacket!

For those who don't know, Street Angels York is a church run, volunteer program where a group of 3 or 4 will go out on a Friday or Saturday night and try to help those who are vulnerable. Namely, those who are drunk. The drinking culture here is different from anything I've seen at home, but as I haven't really seen anything at home, I guess that's to be expected. The legal drinking age here is 18, but I've seen ages 18-50+ out and drunk on Fridays and Saturdays. Binge drinking is almost cultural here. Drinking at all is quite cultural; I've been to several church events where alcohol is served and a church carnival where you could win a bottle of wine or a 6 pack.

Anyway, the Street Angels go out and try to make sure everyone gets home safely. We carry a backpack filled with water bottles and flip flops-- you'd be surprised (or maybe not) at how many girls wear super high heels, but can't wear them all night so wind up walking barefoot, which is not safe when there's a high possibility of broken glass.

This last night out was fairly uneventful, but that's what we pray for. We did have a few vomiters (yuck), but nothing too serious. We did have a girl come up to us to thank us! Apparently, her sister had been out drinking the week before and passed out in a shop doorway and the Street Angels found her and made sure she was able to get home. When people recognize you're out doing something to help, it's pretty awesome.

Street Angels has been a good experience for me. I know I've grown a lot!

As a side note, this song is awesome and you should listen to it. :)