A community larder is on the verge of securing a vital grant through the Humanitarian Fund - but it needs public votes to secure the funds.
Eaglesham & Waterfoot Community Larder is the brainchild of local community worker Freya Young who started the larder to help those in need throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
It sits outside Montgomerie Hall, in nearby Eaglesham, every Saturday from 10am till 5pm.
Filled with a large variety of essentials such as canned food, toiletries, household staples, nappies, pet food and luxury items you can't find at a food bank the larder has become an invaluable community resource for many struggling families.
Freya has applied for £5000 funding from Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire, which would help go towards the overall running of the larder to keep it going over the next year.
Freya told Lanarkshire Live the current cost of living crisis has shown just how needed the food larder is locally.
She told us: "I currently have funding from the Scottish Government from two years ago, but it's on it's way out so that's why I've applied for a second round of funding to try and fill the larder.
"With the cost of living crisis and increase in demand, the cost of filling the larder has doubled. It's what we've expected, but it is quite sad that the larder is being used even more than during the pandemic.
"A lot more families are finding themselves in trouble and can feel embarrassed to ask for help. With the larder you don't need to ask you just show up and take what you need."
Freya started the community larder back in January 2021 when she saw a lot of people struggling to make ends meet while on furlough.
And she says the need for this vital local service has gotten greater as the cost of living crisis developed from the fallout from COVID.
Freya added: "We have a lot of people who use the larder from Eaglesham and the surrounding areas like East Kilbride and Newton Mearns.
"When you couldn't far travel during COVID a lot of people from East Kilbride were coming over.
"It's unmanned and free to use and one has to give a reason why or prove anything like they have to do at food banks so you can just show up and it's fully stocked.
"The larder is a lifeline to a lot of families from all over East Renfrewshire and beyond, it's being used more than ever with the cost of living crisis.
"So if we got the funding it would definitely keep us going for at least the next year which would be amazing."
Posters advertising the Humanitarian Fund will be showcased at The Marketplace venues in Kelburn Street, Barrhead and The Avenue Shopping Centre, Newton Mearns from November 21 to 25, where the general public can vote for which projects they would like to see in the community and who the money should go towards.
For more information visit Eaglesham and Waterfoot Community Larder on Facebook.
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