Community Activities
Winter is the hardest time of all for the homeless. So, prominent Belfast funeral directors James Brown & Sons decided to go the extra mile and launch a ‘Coats for the Homeless’ campaign via all four of their branches in a bid to provide people with nowhere to go some extra layers to stay warm while temperatures plummet.
Public response to the campaign has been overwhelming and on Christmas Eve, James Brown & Sons Funeral Manager Barbara Wilson and Funeral Arranger Robert McCamley delivered an impressive total of 313 coats to the Welcome Organisation, Belfast – who work tirelessly to deliver a range of services to people affected by homelessness.
Lauren Gilliland and Brendan McKinley of the Welcome Organisation were ready to help them offload the packed van when they arrived at their premises on Townsend Street – where the coats can be distributed to those in need.
James Brown & Sons’ Barbara Wilson said: “We were absolutely overwhelmed at the response to our coat appeal from the local communities who so generously donated over 300 coats, through our branches in Knockbreda, Lisburn Road and Dunmurry. We cannot thank everyone enough who took the time to call into our branches, in support of this wonderful cause. The kindness shown will help keep people warm and supported during difficult times and make such a difference to those in need this cold winter.”
James Brown & Sons have been continuing with their coat appeal as a large number of donations are
still coming into their branches. It’s clear the public share their care for homeless people’s wellbeing. If anyone would like to donate any spare coats, they can take them to any of these branches: Knockbreda Road, Dunmurry, Lisburn Road and Newtownabbey.