A shop in Shotts is giving back to the local community through a charitable donation.
One Stop Shop – Ali’s has chosen two local charities to donate a total of £1000 to, which was raised from the sale of plastic bags in store.
The two charities are Paul’s Parcels foodbank in Shotts and suicide awareness charity Chris’s House in Wishaw.
A community hub, the shop has been owned by Manzoor Ahmad for 50 years.
He said: “We saved all the money from the sale of carrier bags in store and kept it for a charitable cause.
“We decided to ask our customers on Facebook where they thought the money should go, and to suggest local charities for us.
“We wanted to keep it local and give local charities the recognition. They do lots in the community so it is important to give back.”
The shop has also taken part in a number of charitable and good deeds throughout the pandemic.
From making sure the elderly are catered for to rewarding key workers, Manzoor and his staff have been constantly giving back to the community.
Manzoor’s daughter, Rehana, is responsible for a lot of the charitable work the shop carry out.
Manzoor said: “Rehana organised Easter eggs to be sent to Crawford’s Chemist last year, which is just along the road from us.
“This was just as an appreciation of all the extra hours they were putting in to make sure people had everything they needed.
“We also donated hand sanitiser to the Salvation Army when they had a shortage, as well as making sure there was plenty toilet roll available for the elderly back when it was very hard to buy any.
“It’s important to look after the elderly, so we also offer them free delivery on their shopping.
“Some people are scared and a bit more vigilant of going out now, so the delivery service can be really handy for them.”
