FOUR Scottish cities are playing host to a ‘festival of kindess’ this festive period, as a charity has launched a campaign to help the homeless.
Scottish based homelessness charity – Social-Bite - has launched the campaign which aims to provide Christmas gifts and meals to those in need in an effort to spread festive cheer and kindness.
They plan on distributing 300,000 gifts, hot meals and other essential living items to people experiencing homelessness in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee.
Towering Christmas trees as tall as 30ft have been installed in the cities, and the charity is asking people to buy an extra gift to drop under the trees to contribute to their ‘movement of kindness’.
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Social Bite co-founder and executive director Josh Littlejohn said: “This Christmas, many of us will be able to reunite with family and friends to celebrate after so many restrictions.
“But for homeless people and families, the pandemic has made their situation particularly desperate.
“Thousands of people all over the UK will spend Christmas on the streets – cold, hungry and lonely, without a family to go to.”
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Originally starting in Edinburgh, Social-Bite has been tackling homelessness since 2012 and the charity says it distributed more than 800,000 food packs during the pandemic alone. They also have a network of cafes throughout the country which offer sit-down meals on a weekly basis to people experiencing homeless and food poverty.
Last year the charity only had two cities which were involved in the festive cause, but building on their success from 2020, they have doubled their reach in Scotland and also travelled south of the border to London to set up another ‘festival of ‘kindness’.
The locations of the Christmas trees are:
- Edinburgh, St Andrew Square
- Glasgow, Vinicombe Street, outside M&S at the Bon Accord centre
- Aberdeen, City Square
- Dundee V&A
- London, Charing Cross Station
To promote the charitable scheme, some of Scotland's famous landmarks have been lit up with the words 'In a world, where you can be anything. Be kind'.
Josh added: “Our festival of kindness campaign aims to spread some festive cheer. In a world, where you can be anything, we’re urging people to be kind and buy or donate a little extra to help those who need it most – even the smallest of gifts will make a huge difference.”
Monetary donations can also be made online via the Social Bite website which will then go towards the provision of food, gifts and essential items.
Donations will also help fund accommodation and support for those sleeping rough in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and London.
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