Celtic stars Luke McCowan and Nicolas Kühn stopped by a Scots food bank to help pack Christmas parcels for poverty-stricken families.
As part of Celtic FC Foundation’s annual Christmas Appeal the first team players offered a helping hand to East Kilbride-based beneficiary Loaves and Fishes.
Filmed for Sky Sports, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers signs off the heartwarming Hoops and Dreams video appeal by thanking supporters for their generosity each year and “making Christmas magic” for those in need.
For over thirty years, Loaves and Fishes has worked tirelessly to combat poverty across Greater Glasgow, initially operating as a soup kitchen feeding the homeless community from the back of a van before expanding to become a regular feeding programme.
The organisation now exists as a food bank service or ‘multibank’, ensuring those facing extreme poverty have access to food and essentials.
Food bank boss Lesley Davidson gave the Celtic players a tour of the warehouse along with a sobering insight into the hardships faced by more and more desperate families this Christmas.
Lesley explained: “At Loaves and Fishes, we unfortunately have to supply around 250 food parcels a week, which puts enormous pressure on our service, so the support from the Foundation is invaluable. When I first started here, everyone told me about the link over the years with the Foundation and Celtic FC and it’s just as strong as they said it was, especially at Christmas.
“Every Christmas, we say that it can’t get any busier, but it does. But every Christmas, the Foundation are there supporting us and it means so much, we can’t thank everyone that contributes.
“It was also fantastic to have Nicolas and Luke with us for the day. It was great to see them get stuck in and get involved by helping to make up some food parcels, and we’re grateful to them for coming to see us.”
This festive season, Loaves and Fishes will be dishing out 890 emergency food parcels to needy families in East Kilbride.
This includes gifts for 400 children who would otherwise have nothing to open on Christmas morning.
These staggering numbers have rocketed from last year, which saw the food bank feed a total of 640 people – 190 families and more than 300 children.
Commenting on the incredible work of the charity, Nicolas Kühn said: “I think they are really important. They do a lot of the people who don’t have too much. It’s good to see that they get some help.”
Luke McCowan added: “Everybody knows how many charities the Foundation at Celtic work with. I think fans need to dig deeper and show their love for things like this because families and children shouldn’t really miss out on anything.”
Reflecting on the desperate situation Scots families are facing this Christmas, Lesley added: “When you come to a food bank you’re probably at your lowest and you need people the most.
“We have a strapline that is we give people full tummies, warm hearts and clear heads – it’s not enough to fill their tummies, you have to fill their hearts as well and then you get some clarity of thought.”
Celtic FC has kicked-off the campaign with a whopping donation of £10,000, as they ask you to join the club in ‘Making Christmas Magic’ for those who need our support this festive season.
A Celtic FC Foundation spokesperson said: “November 6 marked 137 years since Celtic Football Club was formed at St Mary’s in the Calton, where Brother Walfrid and the Club’s other Founding Fathers made a stand to help those most in need within their local community.
“The festive period, although ordinarily a joyous time for most of us, can often be one of the most difficult and challenging times of the year for those facing hardship in their lives.
“Through this year’s Appeal, we hope to assist local families facing poverty, so they can enjoy the type of Christmas that many of us take for granted.
“As well as pensioners, women and children in refuge, the homeless community, refugees, and a host of others who would otherwise struggle over the festive period.
“The generosity and compassion of the Celtic support is truly unsurpassed and we simply cannot make a difference to the lives of so many without you. Together we can ‘Make Christmas Magic’. Thank you for your magnificent support.”
You can donate online or via paypal to celticchristmasappeal.com or text Celtic followed by £1, £5 or £10 to 70085 or make a donation in all Celtic stores.
Sign up for the charity’s Five Star Heroes donation service which costs just £5 a month. To find out more go to www.loavesandfishesek.com/
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