A family were moved from in to the the Greater Pollock area in an emergency. They were placed into a temporary accommodation with a bed and a cooker and very little else. The local homeless worker called to say that the family needed to collect a food parcel from the foodbank. The family had had no money, could we help?.

A gentleman contacted the service who suffered with addiction problems, he had no income due to being hospitalised as a result on opioid Crisis. He needed help to claim benefits but had no money for his gas and electric or food. I was able to give him a food parcel and Fuel Bank voucher to get his gas and electric on until he got an advance of his benefit. For that two weeks he was able to have his gas and electric on in his home and had food until he was able to pay for this himself, giving him some peace of mind.

In July 2021, my mum passed away. Three months later, my younger brother died a week before his 26th birthday all because of covid. Six months after that, this week, my dad passed. I just can’t quite take it all in.

I never knew funerals were so expensive. It’s not the kind of thing you’re meant to know at 38, but my sister and I just couldn’t handle the arrangements and there was no one else to do it. She’s had to take a leave of absence from her part-time job and is not coping. I try to help financially. I was struggling to keep my head above water before all this but I know, if I want to give my remaining family a real future.

I’m a full-time carer for my 19-year-old daughter and had fallen on hard times because of covid.

A couple of direct debit payments came out early and that was that: no money, with benefits not due for three weeks.

The Gowanbank Hub helped to tide me over until the my universal credit came in. Without that I would have had to go hungry – I have in the past and try my best not to go there again.