A mum and her eight-month-old baby were left wandering the streets of Glasgow on Christmas Day, facing a night of rough sleeping, until a homeless charity stepped in to help during their desperate situation.
Homeless Project Scotland said that volunteers at their shelter on Glassford Street were left “horrified” by the heartbreaking scene, highlighting the severity of the homelessness crisis in Scotland.
Speaking to the Record after sharing an image of the baby’s pram at the centre, Colin McInnes from the project said:
“This lady had literally been walking around for at least several hours with her child in a pram, with nowhere to go.
“She just happened to be walking by when she saw the shelter and knocked on our door, hoping she could get some help.
“It was very harrowing to witness, and our volunteers were distressed and shocked that they came to us seeking refuge. It was just by chance that she passed us and if she hadn’t come in she would have faced being on the streets with her baby that night.
“It’s unbearable for us to see a child come to us at the best of times, never mind to come through our doors on Christmas Day. Children are supposed to be around a tree, not at a shelter with no place to call home on a special day.”
Homeless Project Scotland, which is run entirely by volunteers, was able to help the mother secure accommodation for the night through Glasgow City Council.
Colin also told how the shelter took in another mum and baby last year.
He added: “We’ve only had one other instance this year of a mum appearing with a baby, thankfully. That child was just six days old and needed a Moses basket. But it doesn’t make it any easier to witness—especially at Christmas —and this is the reality of the homelessness crisis Scotland is facing.”
Colin explained how Christmas had been a very busy time for the shelter. Over 600 people were served dinner on Christmas Day, and around 3,000 people had been helped since Christmas Eve, as many other charities were closed for the season.
He added: “This is a time of great need in Scotland. We were oversubscribed on Christmas Day, with more than 20 people turned away, which is a hard thing to do on any day.
“Since then, we have faced the same situation, with 20 to 30 people turning up whom we cannot accommodate. Their reality is the street, as we are the end of the line in many cases.
“We have handed out sleeping bags and can only pray that they get through the night and start again the next day in the battle for temporary accommodation with Glasgow City Council, who are breaking the law left, right, and centre when they fail to offer a roof over people’s heads.
“It’s simply not right that we are left to deal with this massive demand for the most basic human needs. It is a human right to have somewhere to sleep at night, and it’s a shameful situation that so many people are being let down.”
Homeless Project Scotland provides a soup kitchen, night shelter, 24/7 phone line, food van, street team and advocacy for those experiencing homelessness. Click here for more information.
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