A north-east community group who help feed the homeless hope to “spread some kindness and cheer” with a lunch on New Year’s day.
Volunteers of Street Friends Helping the Homeless served a festive brunch to more than 20 people on Christmas Day.
On January 1, volunteers will be serving up lunch at tables beside M&S on St Nicholas Street from 11am to 3pm.
Communications secretary Sam Raion said although the Christmas brunch was quieter than expected, the awareness the group raised was “immense”.
Mr Raion said: “It is a time of high risk, we know the figures are incredibly high and rising, for suicides and drug related deaths, so this is a safe way of a controlled frontline primary outreach.
“The aim of this is to try and spread some kindness and cheer.”
New procedures are in place in line with Level 4 restrictions. Mr Raion said: “We are going ahead with outreaches with the addition of the extra barriers, distancing and precautions increased from what they were previously.
“All hot food is issued sealed, from thermos bags. All fresh items are offered from keep cool bags, which are again sealed by places such as Greggs.
“Items will be placed on table and then we step back allowing them to pick up and maintain two metres, outside, with both volunteers and attendees with masks.”
On the day there will also be hot drinks and hot food from La Lombardas and Aberdeen Muslims as well as food parcels from Morrisons, Tesco and “a lot of extra items which are through fareshare via Cfine”.
There will also be £5 gift cards from Greggs and a goodie bag provided from the shoebox campaign to those attending.
The community group hope to expand their reach next year, Mr Raion said: “We do wish to continue, safely, as far is feasible, during lock down and growing into 2021. Our aim, with further training, will be for eventual charitable status and expansion.
“We wish to provide safe choices, signposting and ‘alcohol/drug free spaces’ as well as opportunities – whilst continuing our ongoing group role as a ‘welfare service’, offering emergency provisions for the vulnerable, isolated, homeless and poverty stricken.”
Donations to the group should be made through Amazon, supermarkets or by purchasing items using the groups GoFundMe fundraisers.
Mr Raion added: “We always aim to highlight the vast increase in poverty and that we help the homeless, but also vulnerable, poverty stricken and isolated.”
