Border Telegraph | News | Packs to help the homeless

Saturday, 26th July, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 23rd January, 2008 10:30

Packs to help the homeless

By Atholl Innes

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CHURCHES in Galashiels are this weekend joining a major project to help the homeless in the Borders.

The Fellowship of Churches has opted into a plan to provide ‘Well Being Packs’ which will be distributed to people staying in emergency accommodation.

The scheme, ‘Care Point’, will be launched on Sunday, with a target to donate 400 packs over a one-year period.

The packs will include such items as toilet bags, hand towels, tissues, shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, disposable razors, baby lotion, sanitary towels and chocolate bars.

Said the Rev. Morag Dawson, minister of Trinity Church and Caddonfoot: “The aim is to provide a degree of comfort and self-respect by donating the items necessary to maintain standards of personal hygiene and cleanliness in difficult and desperate circumstances.

“We have to bear in mind that these will be people who suddenly find themselves without a roof over their heads and are unlikely to have the support or money to buy basis needs.”

The churches taking part, including Galashiels, are Caddonfoot, Heriot, Stow and St Cuthbert’s in Melrose.

A quarterly appeal will be made to congregations to donate items for the appeal.

“We (Fellowship of Churches) are always on the look-out for ways in which the local church communities can work together to make a difference to the less privileged and those in need in our town and district,” said Ms Dawson.

Packs will be delivered to the Homeless Unit in Jedburgh for distribution.

The project is supported by Scottish Churches Housing Action and Scottish Borders Council.

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