Meet Glasgow's key worker heroes: Help the Homeless founder Helen is second to none

Helen McMillan, 32, has helped to dish out thousands of meals to the city’s most vulnerable since setting up Help the Homeless Glasgow. 

The Dennistoun woman has spent countless hours supporting people in the streets and has even refused to let life in lockdown stop her. 

Help the Homeless’ work has never been more important and scores of volunteers, inspired by Helen, have risen to the challenges of Covid-19 in recent weeks. 

For pal and colleague John Hamilton, her generosity is made all the more remarkable by the fact she does it while working for housing development service Aspire and raising six-year-old son Peter Jnr. 

Helen with Peter Snr and Peter Jnr

The 38-year-old is behind Helen’s nomination as she becomes the latest key worker hero to be honoured in the Glasgow Times.

John said: “Without people like Helen, there would be a crisis.

“She has helped thousands of people and she is always someone volunteers can go to for advice and help.

“She’s just a fountain of knowledge and is the best example of a person I have ever seen.” 

Helen, who lives with Peter Jnr and his dad Peter Snr, has worked closely with Aspire and the Tesco Maryhill Community team during lockdown to continue to send out support packages to those who need them.

“In the last week or so, she has co-ordinated things and helped to deliver more than 1400 meals,” John said.

“On Wednesday, we cooked 400 meals as a team and she did around 200 all by herself.

“She is just so caring and loving to everyone. As well as people on the streets, she helps those making the transition into accommodation.

“She is just second to none.” 

Meanwhile, the family of Pollok woman Maureen McEwan couldn’t believe it when they saw her name in the Glasgow Times this week, but only because the 56-year-old had nominated someone other than herself as a lockdown hero.  

The head of development for Trust Housing didn’t think for a second she deserved her own time to shine and instead sung the praises of daughter Sharron McMillan for her work at Corpus Christi Primary School, in Knightswood. 

Maureen McEwan has been hailed as a hero by her daughter Carey Anne

This is despite going above and beyond for tenants every day since the pandemic began.

But, for daughter Carey Anne McEwan, this says everything about the “inspirational” grandmother-of-five, who is always putting others before herself at the Thornliebank hub. 

Carey Anne, who is mother to Elle, 12, and four-year-old Shea, said: “She is just the most amazing person and is our Wonder Woman. 

“Since day one of all of this, she has been down there every day helping tenants, going shopping for them, and just making sure they are all okay.

“She will be working until 10pm and then up at 6am the next day to go to work. 

“It’s never with any complaints and she just thinks it is her job and she should be doing it.”

Mother-of-six Maureen is married to Eddie, 59, and devotes most of her free time to her grandkids. 

Carey Anne said: “It has been hard for her in recent weeks not being able to see them.

“They love her so much and are proud of her. We all are.” 

Our last hero being honoured today is 63-year-old Wilma Allan, from Sandyhills, who works as a domestic in the Templeton Business Centre after more than 30 years in Parkhead Hospital. 

Daughter Kelly Allan, 39, says Wilma, who is married to Billy, goes to work every day without complaint and little recognition.

Mother-of-one Kelly said: “She cares so much and works all the time. 

“A lot of people will think ‘oh, she’s just a domestic’, but without people like my mum they don’t get clean hospitals or offices.

Kelly Allan, left, with mum Wilma

“She is so selfless and has also been there to help me raise my son Regan since he was around five.

“She sacrificed part of her life so she could be there for us.”