Greenock volunteers fight loneliness with food

City Church in Watt Street offers a warm welcome to all, with a free soup and hot food out of the goodness of their hearts.

Every week the queues form and the doors open as people from all walks of life, young families, pensioners and workers stop by for a catch up.

City Church drop in (Image: George Munro)

Volunteer in chief Beth Campbell leads a team who provide much needed friendship and food for everyone who attends.

Beth said: "We love our soup bowl drops in. We started it after covid and it has just continued. We want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, it is so popular and we can have up to 70 people every week."

Helping set the tables and serve the food is Jacqueline McNamee, who used to work in Ardgowan Hospice as a cook. 

Jacqueline, who was moved to get involved with the City Church project after retiring, said: "It is great, I absolutely love the blether. The church also does such a lot of work for the hospice as well. It is fantastic, we see people coming back every week. I think the Pastor Ian and Beth deserve so much credit for what they do."

Enjoying the company and the food was 69-year-old Matthew Lee, who was joined by Thomas McKechnie and Ian Hamilton, 81.

Thomas, from Roxburgh Street, said: "It is a great way to get out and about, I enjoy the company."

Ian added: "Most of us are involved in Compassionate Inverclyde and started coming along here as well. It is a great to get a blether and the food is great."

As well as the soup bowl drop-ins every Wednesday from 3pm to 5pm there is also an afternoon tea in aid of the Ardgowan Hospice on Tuesdays from 2pm to 4pm.

On other days City Church also offer a number of activities including Zumba and lots more.