Home News Who We Are What We Do Get Involved Get in Touch info@belfastcentralmission.org Christmas Food / Toy Programmes Christmas Food / Toy Programmes Christmas Food Programme Christmas can be the hardest and loneliest time of the year for many older people and is a very busy time for BCM as we try to ease the difficulties associated with the season. The Christmas Programme has become a 'help-line' for those in need throughout Greater Belfast and beyond and we try to give a helping hand to those who find it most difficult. "To all the helpers at Grosvenor House. Many thanks. Christmas would not be the same without the help of all of you." From a recipient of food and toy hampers For 125 years BCM have been helping to feed the hungry, with their food depot in the early 1900's and nightly food runs to men and boys sleeping rough on the warm bricks in the Springfield brick fields. Now food is still handed out but on a smaller scale and mostly at Christmas. In November, applications start to pour in from families and older people who are in need and food parcels, made up from donations of food or money, are then prepared and distributed in December. During our Christmas Programme 2015, 1,680 Food Parcels were given out. This programme would not take place without our loyal team of volunteers, who help to make up and distribute the parcels. Christmas Toy Programme The Programme aims to give a helping hand to families and individuals who, for financial or other reasons find Christmas one of the hardest and unhappiest times of the year. "I am a single parent living in a hostel. I do not know what I would have done without your help. God bless you all for you are my angels" Each year Grosvenor House becomes a hive of activity as BCM staff and volunteers prepare for the busy Christmas period. The Christmas programme has become a ‘help line’ for the needy and distressed of inner-city Belfast and surrounding areas and similar projects have now been run by the Mission for well over 120 years. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of our volunteers each year over 3,200 parcels of new toys and over 1,800 food parcels are distributed. For further information please contact: Janet Sewell, Community Services Manager Email: jsewell@belfastcentralmission.org Tel +44 (0)28 9024 1917 FAMILIES Parents' Support Volunteering Christmas Food / Toy Programmes SEARCH FORM From BCM’s foundation in 1889, volunteers have played a vital role in the life of the Mission and this remains true today. In fact this is an expanding area of our work and the contribution made by our volunteers has been calculated as an amazing 11,100 volunteering hours in the year Jan - Dec 2015 alone... READ MORE > BCM | Grosvenor House, 5 Glengall Street, Belfast, BT12 5AD | T: +44 (0)28 9024 1917 | F: +44 (0)28 9024 0577 | info@belfastcentralmission.org Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 101271 | Company limited by guarantee NI 55693 Privacy and Cookies © BCM 2015 Content cannot be copied, republished, posted, broadcast or reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of BCM. Site by Stereo and Avec Solutions