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Allies
Working with the Homeless
C/o Y.M.C.A.
Soulis Street
Kilmarnock
Registered with the Inland Revenue
Charity SCO28155
New Laigh Kirk
Kilmarnock December 2009
Dear David,
Harvest Festival
First of all my sincere apologies for this very late letter of thanks for your generous Harvest Festival gifts of food. Please accept and pass on our very grateful thanks to your Session and Congregation.
This is the sixth year the New Laigh Kirk has given us the Harvest gifts and, as I have said many times before, it is much appreciated by our members especially during the winter months. We found it quite difficult earlier this year in raising money for the provision of food and the Harvest gifts from last year helped enormously when we were short of supplies. However, we are now in a much better situation having been successful in getting some grants for the running costs and food.
Lots of good news this year. The threat of us being ‘evicted’ from the Y.M.C.A. premises we rent has been removed. I mentioned in my letter last year that the Y.M.C.A. trustees were hoping to modernise the building and make use of it themselves. This has not materialised. Their application for funding from the lottery fund was unsuccessful and, fortunately for us but not them, they have to rethink their plans. We should have some security of tenure, at least in the meantime.
We fitted a new kitchen, well 70% new, with bright shiny stainless steel units, a new bigger and better cooker and for the first time we have hot water on tap!! We used to have to boil kettles and urns and transport the water to the sink in pots. Not a terribly
‘Health & Safety’ method , but fortunately never any accidents.
We also received new funding for various projects along with, as I mentioned above, funding for our food and running costs. All in all a good year for funding. We are very grateful to our new funders along with existing funders such as East Ayrshire Council.
Lloyds/TSB and the Robertson Trust who have supported us over the years. Never the less the task of finding funders is endless, as one funder drops out we need a replacement!!
Unfortunately our project worker who joined us late 2008 has moved on, October past, to do a postgraduate course but we have been very fortunate in having some very hard working volunteers and were able to fill the job by offering one of these volunteers the post. We are very lucky at the moment in the full time staff and volunteers we have, they have all worked very hard. Long may they stay with us.
We reorganised the way we provide hot meals by abandoning the evening meals we served on Mondays and Wednesdays. We now provide breakfast and lunch each day
- Monday to Friday. Our replacement project worker took on the task and helped in revamping the kitchen, preparing new menus and organising and cooking the food. This new regime has helped to increase the number of members to take up the various activities and classes we run during the day and encourages them in their efforts to alter their lifestyles.
Finally our members. Some very sad, some very hopeful. Most of our members do try very hard, they get involved, help with the running of Allies, organise events and become involved in a small community. It is ‘Belonging’ to a community. They receive help and do try to return something for the help they get. It is great when the sad ones pull through and move on to a better life and sad when the hopefuls can’t quite make it and fall back into their old lifestyle.
Now my well used closing wish and thanks.
Think of Allies occasionally in your prayers, especially for the people we are trying to help.
We are all fine at Allies, thanks to people like you in the New Laigh Kirk. We think of you as a friend and feel very lucky in having friends such as your Congregation. Once again, all at Allies thank you for your very generous gifts and please pass on our warmest thanks and greetings to your Session and to your Congregation.
May you all have a great Christmas and a very happy New Year.
God bless,
Jim Raeburn ( Treasurer / Volunteer )
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