An East Kilbride meals financial institution helped ship Christmas to greater than 300 needy households this yr.
And East Kilbride Neighborhood Meals Financial institution – made up of a partnership of native church buildings – say they couldn’t have performed it with out the wholehearted help of people, companies, colleges and native teams throughout the city.
However they are saying demand continues to rocket with extra Christmas hampers – which comprise all the pieces a household wants for the massive day together with meals and presents – handed out than ever.
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And that is on prime of the variety of meals emergency parcels handed out sitting at something as much as 170 every week – doubling in numbers throughout the first lockdown and nonetheless sitting at 20 per cent greater than final yr.
Karen Dornan from EK Neighborhood Meals Financial institution stated: “Yearly folks within the East Kilbride space present us great help at Christmas however this yr has been simply phenomenal .
“Our Christmas hampers comprise all the pieces from the veg and turkey to treats however we additionally had a whole lot of toys and presents donated so we’ve got to say an enormous thanks to everybody who has supported us.
“It’s been from all components of the group – people, companies, you title it.
“We had a schoolgirl who put collectively a recipe e book and made £140 for us, which her dad’s firm then matched.
“And as folks could not be seeing family members we’ve got been given reward playing cards and cash they don’t seem to be in a position to hand over.”
Amongst companies who’ve helped the meals financial institution have been Sainsbury’s.
Between donations from Sainsbury’s and Argos and its prospects they obtained an outstanding £1800 in donations.
Karen went on: “The staff in-store have been an amazing help to us all yr via and we are able to’t thank them sufficient for all their assist and kindness.
“The partnership we’ve got with them is invaluable. This month particularly we’ve got been blown away by everybody’s generosity.
“Sainsbury’s ‘Assist Brighten a Million Christmases’ marketing campaign has meant that each donation consumers donated between December 1 and 14 has been matched by Sainsbury’s which is completely superb.
“A member of employees additionally entered the meals financial institution in a raffle they have been holding in-store and gained us a tremendous prize which we’re going to have the ability to use to bless one in every of our purchasers this yr.”
However Karen stated the help of everybody is required greater than ever this yr.
“We are going to hand out extra Christmas hampers than ever – 320 – however that may be a reflection of the scenario individuals are discovering themselves in,” she added.
“For our emergency parcels plenty of our new purchasers who’ve misplaced their jobs and don’t know the place to show – discovering themselves in a scenario they by no means anticipated to be in.
“And with the three-week lockdown beginning on Boxing Day we worry the numbers will solely begin to creep up.”
