STAFF at a charity cafe which aims to eradicate homelessness in Glasgow have urged the city to take part in its first ever Sleep in the Park event.

The Social Bite workers, who are based in the ­charity’s St Vincent Street eatery, come face-to-face with the heartbreaking reality of homelessness everyday and know the challenges those living on the street face all too well.

The small team, armed with layers of thermals and jumpers, will descend on Kelvingrove Park next month to take part in the city’s first sleep out event in a bid to stamp out the epidemic sweeping the country.

“I know it’s going to be tough but that’s the idea,” front of house worker Jen Shades told the Evening Times, “It’s to give people an idea of what people are going through on the streets.

“I’ve had a lot of people asking why we’re not doing it in the summer but that defies the purpose.

“I think a lot of people don’t really know how to put themselves in the shoes of a homeless person even if it’s just for one night.”

Each day Jen and her colleagues serve dozens of homeless or struggling people who pour through the cafe’s doors in search of a hot meal or drink, donated by paying customers who opt to give back.

Their stories are heartbreaking and all too familiar for those across Glasgow struggling to make ends meet, but for the staff, they are the tales which must be heard if Scotland has any hope of ending the problem.

Matt Taylor, relief store manager, said: “It can be a little more difficult than it first appears on the surface [to work at the charity]because we get a variety of different people from different walks of life and you do see some unpleasant things.

“When it gets towards Christmas it can be quite emotional. People are running themselves into debt getting Christmas presents for the kids but don’t have enough to feed themselves.

“People can have it explained to them how horrible it is but until you experience it for yourself you don’t understand it. That’s why Sleep in the Park is important.”

Last year’s event in Edinburgh drew thousands, with hundreds reported to have travelled from Glasgow to take on the challenge, and it’s expected this year will be even bigger, with the likes of Amy McDonald, KT Tunstall and Frightened Rabbit expected to draw in the crowds.

And no-one is more optimistic the people of Glasgow will arrive in their masses to help the charity is cafe manager Euan Brock.

Since joining the team four months ago the 27-year-old has been in awe of the support shown by the Glasgow public.

He said: “The public reaction is great, it’s really heart-warming and the amount of donations is incredible.

“I think they would rather give it to us than give money on the street because they don’t know where it’s going so it’s useful for them to have a place to donate as well.

He added: “Not all of the people we see are on the street, some of them are in hostels but they’re only given a kettle so tins from the food bank aren’t much use.

“It’s hard to see but even we don’t see the full extent of it. There’s a lot of people who don’t want to use the service for different reasons, for example some don’t want to lose their spot on the street.

“It’s hard but knowing you make a difference is great and our customers help us do that.”

Customers like regulars David Niven and Nosa Oronsaye, who frequent the cafe on their lunch breaks purposefully as a way of giving back to the city.

David said: “I think the whole thing is amazing. It’s good to see the people coming in and getting free food.

“I love collecting my points up knowing it’ll give someone something to eat.

“I’ve been working in the city centre for about five years now and I’ve seen a noticeable difference on the amount of people in the street.

“One night, I counted 12 or 14 people just between Central and George Square.”

Their business provides a hot breakfast for the service users, who can then return to the cafe for a snack between 2pm and 3pm.

At closing time, all the food is given away to those in need in order to get them through the night.

While the proceeds from a day at the cafe and Sleep in the Park, go to helping eradicate the problem altogether.

It’s a vital lifeline for the likes of Hamza Djeddou, who came to the city four years ago after fleeing his home country of Algeria.

Unable to work, the 36-year-old lives in temporary accommodation in Easterhouse and is kept going by the eatery.

He told the Evening Times: “I don’t have anything, I can’t work but, in this place, I can find help, get a hot drink and food, especially when it’s cold out.

“It’s a really good place to come.”