Two stricken men forced to sleep under a bridge after losing their jobs due to the virus outbreak were given a lifeline by volunteers in Dumbarton.
The Welsh men managed to hitchhike to the town after their plans for a new life in Oban collapsed when the lockdown was imposed.
With no money and no food, they bedded down underneath a bridge contemplating their next move - until Food For Thought came to their rescue.
The charity warmed them up with breakfast and helped them apply for a grant to enable them to travel back home to their families.
And in a heart-warming gesture, the men kindly donated the rest of their funds to the charity to say thanks.
Food For Thought revealed the incredible story last week and told how despite the virus physically separating us, it is also helping bring people together.
They posted it on Twitter last Wednesday, moving many to tears.
It read: “By good fortune, we stumbled across two Welsh gentleman.
“They had arrived to Oban last Saturday from Cardiff, spending all of their money to get there, to start a new job.
“By Monday afternoon, the coronavirus lockdown strikes and they are dismissed from their new job, with no money, limited clothes and no
pay-off.
“They managed to hitchhike to West Dunbartonshire. They were stuck here freezing cold and sleeping under the local bridge without any food.
“Today, we find them, bring them in, feed them breakfast, a cup of tea, somewhere to wash, charge phones and warm up.
“We engage West Dunbartonshire Council’s homeless team and start to find solutions. We’re advised to help apply for a crisis grant and with the councils and our support, they do that.
“The grant is successful. They now have the funds for transport back to their families in Cardiff and some extra to get food for the journey.
“They thank us deeply and emotionally and go on their way.
“Twenty minutes later, they return and they’ve bought their food for the journey home. One sandwich each. One water
each.
“The rest? They filled their bag with supplies and donated the rest of their grant funds to the foodbank.”
The charity hasn’t let the lockdown stop them from doing their good work across the area and they have 35 volunteer drivers delivering emergency food aid to those most in need.
They say “demand is through the roof” but they have received lots of support from local eateries, which off-loaded stock to them after being ordered to shut.
Subway and McDonald’s in Dumbarton, as well as the tearoom at Dumbarton Sheriff Court donated surplus food, which is being delivered to those most in need.
West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare has also benefitted from deliveries from local and national businesses, including Five Guys, as they continue their critical work in communities.
Clair Coyle told the Lennox Herald the charity has now been forced to close its three distribution centres across the area due to the social distancing policy.
But a handful of staff members are still busy making food parcels for those in poverty.
And a team of delivery drivers, made up of staff from the council’s Working 4U service, as well as community payback teams, are busy delivering the packages across the community.
Clair emphasised that the delivery service is only for those in poverty, saying: “We need to make sure we give the support in the right place and that it meets our criteria.”
Earlier this month, Clair said she had fears for the future of the service given the pandemic, saying it will operate for as long as possible.
She added: “We are feeling confident at the moment that we can sustain the service but the situation is constantly changing. We are trying to be positive and hopeful.”
