Day 28-30 - 'Hungry for the Needs of the Homeless' Challenge
Services Experienced
Social Bite is a charity and social business providing homes, jobs, food, and support to empower people to transform their own lives - through a variety of different means, one being a sandwich shop.
Gordon visited the sandwich shop on Union Street, Aberdeen, where you can pay it forward for the homeless and vulnerable to eat. He got a baked potato and tuna, tangerine, coffee and water.
The charity also help provide jobs for those experiencing homelessness, and help them get housing.
Community Outreach Group (COG) is a community outreach group offering assistance, welfare checks and care to anyone who comes to them.
They serve the homeless in Aberdeen city Monday-Saturday night - handing out hot drinks, sandwiches, traybakes and water.
Open House is a charity initiative that provides a welcoming and inclusive space for people in the city centre. It's hosted by Aberdeen Methodist Church and offers refreshments, activities, and a safe environment for those who may be struggling with loneliness, mental health, or substance use. The initiative aims to create a sense of community and address the root causes of these issues.
They serve the homeless Monday - Friday 2 - 4pm and Sundays 1pm , providing a 3 course lunch. It’s open all year round including Christmas Day (but closed on Saturdays). They served hot food, coffees, desserts - all with proper crockery, cutlery and tablecloths! The volunteers chatted and sat around the tables - it was a really great place to sit a while with someone to talk to.
The Toastie Club is an initiative ran by Bethany Christian Trust, providing a social lunchtime drop-in for men and women in Aberdeen. The Trust partner with a number of outside agencies to provide assistance and referrals each week including Alcohol Drug Action, Shelter, Home Energy Scotland, an NHS Community Nurse, and an NHS Community Dentist among others.
Gordon visited the Toastie club and met Kam who has been running the service for over 15 years. At the club was Citizens Advice, a nurse, a hairdresser, (drug counsellors come sometimes) and of course toasties, teas and coffees. The thing about this club the people that come are not here for the food, Gordon believes they are here for the community - everybody was sitting round tables, playing games chatting, quizzing and playing pool. A really is a fantastic service, ran every Wednesday 11:30 - 1pm.
Gordon's Movements
Day 28 - Gordon travelled Manchester - Aberdeen for his final city of the challenge. Unfortunately, Gordon came down with a chest infection for the final days of the challenge.
When he arrived, he received food from the Social Bite (read about their services above). He enquired about shelters and was told he could contact the council and they will give you emergency accommodation until they can house you. Later that day, he was waiting in the city centre and the COG group came by with trolleys of food and drinks to serve the homeless and vulnerable communities in Aberdeen. Later in the day, he passively begged, and received just over a £1, in which he headed to McDonalds for a tea before pitching up his bed with a sleeping bag in a doorway.
Day 29 - Gordon headed back to the Social Bite for breakfast. He then went to the Toastie Club (read above), where he received a warm welcome and community. That evening, he got dinner at the Open House (read above).
Whilst waiting in the city centre for the COG group to come round, a passerby gave Gordon an orange - he accepted, but chuckled to himself thinking he must look homeless now!
Later on, a guy called Euan (visiting Aberdeen for a conference), stopped by and asked if he could pray with Gordon, in which he accepted. Gordon then told him about the challenge and prayed with Euan. Euan came back and donated £20 to the challenge and started to follow Gordon's journey on social media. Whilst all this was happening, someone else stopped by with some hot pasta - a really friendly night for Gordon on the streets... or so he thought...
As Gordon set up his pitch for the night, a couple of intoxicated people were bothering Gordon, trying to 'sort him out', and later, a woman came over and went beserk. He removed himself from the hostile environment and went to find a quieter and safe place to sleep.
Day 30 - After waking up in the cold and wet rain, Gordon travelled home and finished the challenge.
Final Reflections
"It’s been an incredibly unpleasant, uncomfortable and body wrecking time. Let me make this clear I went through nothing compared to the real homeless and vulnerable go through day by day, month by month and year by year. What strikes me, I was literally counting down the days until my journey ended but those out on the streets have given up hope that nothing but death will end their misery. The sad thing is that it doesn’t need to be their destiny, the opportunities available for vulnerable people to escape from their pain is literally on their street.
Our Mission for Our Homeless in Our Communities is the hopelessness can be escaped. Bible says; Christ is able to deliver us from sin and death . . I’m going to pray for our homeless and vulnerable that they may experience that deliverance." - Gordon Cruden
Be kind to the vulnerable and give them a chance.
If you want to donate to the 'Hungry for the Needs of the Homeless' Challenge, click here. Your donation will go directly to organisations Gordon witnesses making a difference in vulnerable communities.
Alternatively, if you'd like to sponsor the challenge itself (i.e. the logistical costs), please reach out to us using the 'Contact Us' form.
Thank you for your support!
Remember to follow Gordon on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
Be kind to the vulnerable and give them a chance.
If you want to donate to the 'Hungry for the Needs of the Homeless' Challenge, click here. Your donation will go directly to organisations Gordon witnesses making a difference in vulnerable communities.
Alternatively, if you'd like to sponsor the challenge itself (i.e. the logistical costs), please reach out to us using the 'Contact Us' form.
Thank you for your support!
