Glasgow City Mission (GCM) works to tackle homelessness in Glasgow, and as part of Lindsays 200 volunteering initiative, our staff are working with them.
Volunteers from Lindsays’ Glasgow office teamed up to support the Mission, founded in 1826, across the festive season. After being introduced to GCM’s work, with a tour around the charity’s kitchens, counselling centres, education spaces and gardens, our team lent a hand to the Christmas appeal, stuffing envelopes to aid fundraising which is crucial at this, the coldest time of year. The team of six volunteered for four hours each stuffing envelopes for the charity’s annual appeal, which delivers their largest source of income.
Graham Steven, Marketing & Fundraising Manager at GCM said: “Lindsays has been a fantastic support to GCM in our quest to provide practical care to people in Glasgow affected by homelessness, poverty and isolation.
“Over 3,500 envelopes were stuffed and we look forward to a positive response. Without Lindsays, our small office team would have had to down tools for the day which would have significantly impacted the rest of our charity’s activities and the clients who depend on our services.”
The GCM staff also collect food and toiletries to gift to the charity in December.
Secretary Sharon McCann from Glasgow’s debt recovery team said the work was “an eye opener” and “really rewarding”. As a result of volunteering with GCM, Sharon is also coordinating Lindsays’ support of the charity’s Sleep Out Challenge. This is a sponsored event to highlight the realities of homelessness – the biting cold, the damp, the noise and the difficulty of carrying on your day with little sleep. Sharon and a few colleagues will be sleeping out in February with only a sleeping bag, to raise money for this important cause.
Graham continued: “Not only have Linsdays volunteered in such a helpful way, they have been very enthusiastic in their desire to continue to support GCM into 2016 through fundraising and donations of food and toiletries for our foodbank. Furthermore, using their professional expertise, the team are hopeful of unlocking new income sources for us in 2016 which will benefit hundreds more vulnerable people in our city.
“We can’t thank Lindsays staff enough for their time, skills, enthusiasm and proactivity in striving to tackle a significant social problem in our community.”
