M&S Greenock

Inverclyde Homeless Forum was established in 2006. We meet on a weekly basis in St Mary's Church in Greenock. Those who visit us are adults, young and old, male and female who life a chaotic life, reliant entirely on our benefits system. Due to the severity of the recent benefit cuts, our numbers continue to increase. We rely on the generosity of others, both in donations and of time, and without the kindness of others we would most certainly struggle to fulfil our expectations. We have created an atmosphere of security and safety for our visitors, offering them a three course meal, a bag of food to 'take away' so that they may not go hungry during the week. From time to time we receive donations of food, clothing etc which we distribute. We also have the presence of external agencies who can offer assistance with benefits, housing, sanctions, health, dental etc. Our visitors do not have the resources to enjoy the company of others in ways that many of us take for granted, i.e. enjoying a chat with friends over a coffee or a meal. This they are able with us . Our visitors respect the environment and our volunteers and treat both with respect and kindness

Calums Cabin and Calums Cabin cottage are holiday homes on the Isle of Bute for children suffering from cancer and cancer related diseases. We started up the project in 2009 - it was our son Calum's idea. After all, he and his family lived in a beautiful part of the world. Wouldn’t it be great to have children suffering from cancer come to Bute and make special irreplaceable memories? Calum handled his own diagnosis and treatment with great courage, dignity and humour for someone so young. He lives on in Calums Cabin and he has left us all with his drive and determination to make Calums Cabin what he would want it to be. At first, setting up Calums Cabin was tough, but with the help of local people we managed to get round all the hurdles. The holiday home must be completely accessible to children with limited mobility. Plus, it needs to be kept warm and cosy all year round. This means a lot of careful planning and fundraising. Luckily, ours is a really close knit community and everyone chipped in their help when we built the first cabin. Our local electrician donated his time to wiring up Calums Cabin. Lots of other people helped out by donating materials, time or gifts of money. Our special trips to Bute are now in so much demand that we have built a second holiday home, Calums Cabin cottage. Since 2009, we've helped 700 families. Not only do the families stay in a safe and warm place, Calums Cabin also pays for the ferry to Bute and makes it possible for them to take part in activities whist they are here. We want everyone to be able to make special, lasting memories. With your support, we can continue welcoming families to our beautiful island. Thank you!

As Little Sisters of the Poor our mission is to care for the elderly in the spirit of service as bequeathed to us by our foundress, Jeanne Jugan. Her message was: “Making the elderly happy, that is all that counts”, and her message is still timely, if not more so, today. Our ethos is that each elderly person remains a person, even in a state of physical or mental decline. As Little Sisters of the Poor we are committed to promoting the dignity of human life Life is a gift of God. Long life is a special gift which the elderly will share with you … they appreciate a listening ear and an open heart … A great source of life and vitality generated in our homes comes from our wonderful staff members and many volunteers. Each one brings not only his/her expertise in the running of the homes, but a marvellous friendly atmosphere. It is imperative that each one feels a part of the home --- to echo the words of the foundress when speaking of those who helped her: “What could we do without you?” This phrase will never be extinct for the Little Sisters of the Poor. The cost of running our homes and giving the elderly the care they need with up-to-date comfort and equipment, etc., far exceeds the income we receive. In this respect too, Jeanne Jugan was foresighted, indeed ahead of her time, to put it colloquially. It was for this reason she started her ‘collecting rounds’ and we as Little Sisters of the Poor today, continue where she left off! Contributions either in money or gifts in kind are very much appreciated and used according to the intentions of the donor. In Greenock we provide nursing care for 28 elderly people plus 21 Independent living Apartments. Several elderly people from the area attend daily for lunch.