It is a time of year when many primary school pupils are dreaming of receiving gifts from Santa Claus – but two Cambuslang youngsters have shown they know the true meaning of Christmas spirit.
Ryan and Mia Taylor, who both attend St Charles’ Primary, told their parents they wanted to help others over the festive season.
The pair wrote a letter, with help from mum Jennifer and dad George, asking for donations to the local Rutherglen and Cambuslang foodbank, and popped it through their neighbours’ letterboxes.
Ryan and Mia ended up with enough items to fill more than a dozen boxes and bags, with the goods, which included food, toiletries and other essential items, being dropped off this week.
Dad George told The Reformer he was so proud of his children, who are aged nine and seven, for coming up with the idea.
He said: “They are pretty tuned in with what’s happening in the world and they know that there are people less fortunate than they are.
“With it being the season of good will they were saying they wanted to help out and do something kind for Christmas, which is where the idea of helping the foodbank came from.
“We looked up the website and saw what goods the foodbank needed, like tinned food and toiletries. Then, we helped them type up a letter, and just handed it around the houses here as well as to family and friends.
“We got way more of a response than we had expected from it.
“There’s around eight boxes of goods and another eight bags or so that we collected. So there’s hundreds of pounds worth of items donated.
“Hopefully that can make a difference.” George was pleased to see so many people from his neighbourhood help out.
He added:“It was really nice.
“It’s a quiet area but it seemed like everyone was happy to donate and do what they could; even people we don’t know that well.
“It has been a tough year for everyone, but this shows that there is still a lot of generosity in Cambuslang.” Among the items the foodbank is still asking for are diluting juice, jam, sugar, coffee and tinned meat.
To help out, donations can be made at collection points at Morrisons in Cambuslang, Tesco in Dalmarnock Rd, and Co-op, Nationwide and Poundland in Rutherglen.
Anyone with any larger amounts to hand in should contact the foodbank manager Katharina on 07393 737030.
