IT'S SUPPOSED to be the most wonderful time of the year – gift-swapping, office parties and spending time with family and friends.
But for the homeless community, the festive season can be a time of loneliness and isolation, with no-one to share the festivities with.
And that’s why Social Bite cafes in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen will once again be throwing open their doors this Christmas.
The not-for-profit social enterprise provides food, support and advice to those from a homeless background and a quarter of their staff are formerly homeless.
With the help of volunteers, they will be providing a three course meal on Christmas Eve, as well as a breakfast and three-course meal on Christmas Day, with food company Scotty Brand providing the trimmings.
As well as food, it’s a way to provide friendship and companionship and make Christmas a little more special for those in need.
Social Bite’s training and support worker Ewain Black said: “There are so many things that can make people feel isolated at Christmas if they are from a homeless background.
“Christmas is something that everyone conforms to – being able to buy presents, going out for a meal, going out for drinks.
“It’s like an acid test of how separate someone on a low income or from homelessness is from the rest of the community.
“You see people lying in sleeping bags on Buchanan Street right next to groups of people out having fun and enjoying office parties. It feels like really separate worlds running alongside each other and we are trying to reduce that feeling somehow.
“They can come to Social Bite, where they will be accepted, and we will try to give them a nice day and some good memories.
“Everyone is there to have a nice time and it should be a really nice couple of days.”
ANDY'S STORY
Andy Traynor is a chef by trade who found himself sleeping rough on the streets because of problems with alcohol.
The 46-year-old, from Glasgow, was one of the people who benefited from a sit-down meal at Social Bite last Christmas and he will be offering his services as a volunteer this time.
Now living in his late mother’s home, Andy credits Social Bite with making a massive difference to his life.
He said: “I’m a chef and I’ve always been in kitchens. I worked in a lot of nice places but, through my alcoholism and my cannabis addiction, I fell by the wayside.
“I slept rough in Blackpool, Uttoxeter, Stoke on Trent and Macclesfield. When I came back to Glasgow, I was too proud to tell my mother and father that I’d lost my job.
“I used to sleep behind the food technology college. My sister came looking for me and found out where I was. She took me back home and, two months later, I enrolled back in college and did a professional cookery course at the place I’d been sleeping behind.
“When my mother, Mary, became ill, I got sober. When my mother passed, I hit the drink again. Three months later, my brother, John, died.
“My brother was nine years sober, my mother was 26 years sober and my father, also John, was 24 years sober, so alcoholism always ran in my family.
“I used to pass by Social Bite all the time. I was in the town one day not long after my brother’s death and I saw a queue outside.
“My mother always used to say to me, ‘If you see a queue, go and stand in it – you might get something for free.’
“I asked a guy if what they were waiting for was free and he told it was and to join the queue. That was the start of my journey.
“I volunteer on a Monday and a Friday. If they need a hand, I’ll come in. I like that phone call. It keeps me sober, it gives me a focus for that day.
“I used to have three people’s numbers on my phone, now I’ve got about 30-odd people, and it’s through Social Bite and meeting people.”
Andy has been going to Social Bite for 16 months and is looking forward to spending another Christmas among friends at their Glasgow cafe.
He added: “I was here last Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The difference is, this year, I’ll be cooking the food.
“It’s my brother’s birthday on Christmas Day so it was good to be at Social Bite. Christmas Eve is a cracking day here, it’s the best day.
“My wee mum said I would end up working with the homeless and I’m just glad I put my foot inside that door.
“There’s a lot more to it than just the food. You can come in and have a laugh.
“Things are a lot better now. I’ve got mates, I’ve got camaraderie, I’ve got friendship. If I want to talk to someone, I can pick up the phone.
“I’m not as depressed as I used to be. I’m working on it. Social Bite is the best thing I’ve ever done.
“This place gives me a focus now. The biggest thing Social Bite has given me is confidence.”
FOOD COMPANY WILL DONATE
Big-hearted food company Scotty Brand have pledged to donate 5p from every stickered pack of potatoes sold during the festive period to Social Bite.
It’s the second year they have teamed up with the social enterprise in a bid to help them continue to carry out the valuable work they do with Scotland’s homeless community.
Stickered packs of potatoes can be found in Asda, Tesco, Iceland and Co-op stores.
Scotty Brand head of marketing Michael Jarvis said: “It’s the second year we’ve partnered with Social Bite and we were able to help make a difference last year.
“There are cafes in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, so it’s a Scotland-wide charity and we are a Scottish brand.
“We are about good, hearty, healthy food from Scotland and that’s exactly what Social Bite is trying to provide to people.
“The Christmas campaign was a big success last year and, for us, it was about helping a very worthy cause.
“One of the things that attracted us to Social Bite is that they tackle not just the symptoms of homelessness – people being cold and hungry – they are also doing a lot to try to alleviate the causes of it.
“It’s a great charity to be involved with and it’s good for Scotty Brand to be giving something back to people.”
To find out more, visit www.scottybrand.com and www.social-bite.co.uk
