As we near the end of the Christmas Appeal phase of our Football for Good Fund (FFGF), the focus of our spotlight series today turns to the work of Help the Homeless Glasgow and Homeless at Christmas.

Help the Homeless Glasgow are a non-profit community group founded in 2016. They focus on providing food and essentials to those who are struggling financially, including the homeless, vulnerable groups and the elderly. This can be as a result of benefit sanctions, debt or most recently, the cut in Universal Credit. Help and support is open to these individuals or families all year round.

They have expanded quickly since 2016 and now have between 30 and 50 people who go out on to the streets of Glasgow with sleeping bags, food, clothing and other essentials, which are offered to the homeless community. Volunteers also spend some time chatting and engaging with those living on the streets, which can often be the only engagement they have throughout the day.

Helen McMillian of Help the Homeless Glasgow said: "As part of our many activities, we provide hot meals to those who are struggling and/or experiencing homelessness across Glasgow, as well as supporting those who are in temporary homeless accommodation and moving into their own tenancies."

At Christmas time, many of those who Help the Homeless encounter on the streets cannot otherwise get access to basic needs. The support provided, facilitated through donations, makes a substantial difference.

Helen continued: "We believe that everyone deserves the best possible Christmas, no matter their circumstances. Over the past few years, with the incredible help of Celtic FC Foundation and your supporters, we have been able to provide a hot three-course meal on Christmas Day for hundreds of people living in homeless temporary accommodation services and supported individuals in the community."

Our second beneficiary today, Homeless at Christmas, have a similar ethos and values to that of Help the Homeless. Specialising in giving a helping hand during the festive period, Homeless at Christmas have now been in operation for nine years and continues to grow.

Colin Ross of Homeless at Christmas said: “When we started out, our 15 gift bags only contained gloves, socks and treats, along with stamped Christmas cards and pens for our initiative called ‘Write to someone you miss this Christmas.’ Now, with Homeless at Christmas in its ninth year, we have grown so much!

“We provide hundreds of Christmas cards for the homeless community to reach out to loved ones, as well as gift bags, selection boxes and warm knitwear on Christmas day. With the kindness of Celtic FC Foundation and others who support us, we are able to reach hundreds and hundreds of homeless men, woman and teenagers.”

Your generous donations allow both of these homeless organisations to continue to develop and reach those most in need. With your help, many more of those sleeping on our streets or in temporary accommodation will be touched with generosity this Christmas.

Help the Homeless Glasgow and Homeless at Christmas are the latest Appeal beneficiaries to be confirmed, joining Glasgow’s Number 1 Baby and Family Support Service, Elpis Centre, Hope Kitchen Oban, Ballymote SVDP, Newcastle West End Foodbank, Scottish Refugee Council, Refugee Survival Trust, Glasgow Women’s Aid, Glasgow East Women’s Aid, The Wayside Club, Refuweegee, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, The Cardinal Hume Centre, Borderline, Bow Foodbank, St Anne’s Primary School, St Anne’s Church, Loaves and Fishes, Spirit Aid, the Salvation Army, Safe in Scotland, Glasgow City Mission, PEEK, St Roch’s FC Foundation, The Invisibles, Woman’s Aid Dublin and Women’s Aid Belfast and Lisburn.

Through the Appeal we want to give hundreds of families in our communities the Christmas they deserve, making sure there’s food on the table and gifts under the tree.

We also wish to help pensioners, women and children in refuge, the homeless community and refugees – as well as a whole host of others facing poverty and hardship.

Charity, and the generosity and compassion of the Celtic Family, will always be our past, present and future – it’s our heritage, our responsibility, our lifeblood.

Please join Celtic FC Foundation in making a difference this Christmas – it’s our reason for being.

The key ways to get behind the Christmas Appeal 2021, include:

Donate by text – text ‘CELTIC’ followed by ‘£1’, ‘£5’ or ‘£10’ to 70085*
Donate online HERE
Donate via PayPal HERE
Donate via Facebook HERE
Donate in Cash – there are collection boxes located in all Celtic Stores
Donate by Cheque – payable to ‘Celtic FC Foundation’ and sent to Celtic FC Foundation, Celtic Park, Glasgow G40 3RE.
Provide support through your Christmas shopping via Give as you Live and AmazonSmile HERE
Purchase our brand new Foundation T-shirt HERE
Download Eddi Reader’s unique version of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, featured in this year’s Celtic Christmas advert HERE
Enter our new Christmas Appeal Prize Draw HERE

Thank you for your magnificent support.

*Texts will cost the donation amount, plus one standard rate message.

Foundation Appeal Spotlight – Help The Homeless Glasgow and Homeless At Christmas