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Shelter manager Abiola Dada shares her thoughts on what it's like to work on Christmas Day in the Glass Door night shelters. The story, published in the December 2019-January 2020 edition of The Bridgethe newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of Southwarkis part of a special feature highlighting people spending their Christmas Day volunteering or working.

"We have proper laid out Christmas tables, hats and presents for the guests", Abiola says, "and you know that's not what anyone has asked the volunteers to provide. They just do it on their own, out of nice gestures." 

When asked about how her family feel about Abiola's wish to spend Christmas Day elsewhere, she says: 

They don't resent me going out to work on Christmas Day because, even before I began working at Glass Door, I didn't want to buy into the commercial nature of Christmas. They understand that it's not just work.

The full story, including insights from others who will be working in a hospital and in prison, can be found on pages 6-7 here.