A voluntary support group, which delivered 554 food packages in Rutherglen and Cambuslang in the first four weeks of the coronavirus lockdown, has set up a new food hub to help hundreds of families in need.
Camglen Covid-19 support group – a partnership between Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust, community councils and voluntary groups – launched the operation within St Bride’s Church hall last Wednesday.
In a community response managed by Cambuslang community council, volunteers are packing and distributing parcels of food and toiletries to people who are struggling the most across Rutherglen and Cambuslang, either due to isolation or hardship resulting from the pandemic.
The hall’s two entrances and car park allow a small number of volunteers to enter through one door, while packs are collected by volunteer drivers at the other, ensuring social distancing and more effective infection control.
Community group Particip8 has also opened a food hub which is now operating out of Halfway.
Brendan Rooney, executive director of Healthy n Happy, said the community’s response to an urgent appeal issued two weeks ago by Camglen Covid-19 was overwhelming, and its diminishing food and toiletries supply has been replenished.
Between the lockdown and April 21, 283 families received food packs from the Camglen Covid-19 coalition. Brendan praised the 270 volunteers, as well as the supermarkets that are supplying food and cold storage, local businesses and churches who make and store regular donations, and South Lanarkshire Council, which is supplying fresh milk and hundreds of food packs twice a week. “The response from the public has been absolutely brilliant,” said Brendan.
“We do not have enough roles for all of the volunteers, and that is the case across South Lanarkshire and across the country.
“Because we do not want to frustrate people who really want to help, we have closed new applications for volunteers.
“With people’s circumstances changing due to a variety of reasons, we anticipate that the situation is not going to go away straight away, and will communicate as best we can when roles do arise.
“The response from the local population, local churches, businesses, community organisations and individuals has been brilliant.
“People really are committed to working together.”
If you need assistance or you would like to help with donations, call Healthy n Happy on 0141 646 0123.
For help and support, call the wellbeing helpline on 0303 123 1009.
