A group of mums have asked people to donate to their Christmas appeal to help keep the homeless warm and fed this Christmas.
The group called Street Treats, already hand out free food to those without a home on a weekly basis, but wanted to do something special over Christmas and launched The Drawstring Bag Appeal 2016.
They are asking for donations of toiletries, gloves, socks, chocolates and wind-up torches to be placed in a drawstring bag, which will be handed out in Manchester on 22nd December.
The group was set up after one of its founders saw a video of Sandwiches being distributed to the homeless from the back of a car in London, online.
Now almost a year on, the volunteers cook and hand-out homemade meals every Thursday in Piccadilly Gardens using surplus food from Morrisons Supermarkets in the local area.
Daryl Pollitt, one of the organisers of this year’s appeal, said that the response that they’ve had already is over whelming.
“I know that one of the stores that has one of our collection points is donating 80 bags, and more people keep handing their bags to me, I’m going to be running out of space to keep them.”
“We’re asking people to donate any items that they think will be useful to keep someone safe and warm on the streets, Hats, Socks and maybe even a Christmas card to cheer someone up this festive season” she added.
The popularity of the weekly distribution of food also inspired the group to do something special for Christmas.
“The project has just grown and grown, we give away shoes, clothes, toiletries and we’ve generally got rid of everything within one or two hours”
The Christmas appeal comes just after the six month anniversary of the Manchester Homelessness Charter which sees experts and voluntary organisations collaborate to try and end homelessness in the city.
If you’d like to donate a drawstring bag to the appeal, you can drop them at The Station Pub in Ashton, Morrisons in Piccadilly, Denton and Openshaw and Trough Paper Shop in Audenshaw
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