Bosses at a Lanarkshire foodbank have paid an emotional thank you to big-hearted locals who helped them out this Christmas - by donating a whopping eight tons of vital items.
Organisers at the Rutherglen and Cambuslang foodbank were delighted at the response, after we previously reported that numbers using the community resource had been steadily increasing in recent months.
Over 1,000 locals, including 593 youngsters, had been forced to use the foodbank according to their most recent stats.
Thankfully donations flooded in during the festive season, providing vital items such as tinned food, milk and juice and hygiene products.
Manager of the foodbank, Katharina Nimmo, told Lanarkshire Live : "We are very grateful for all the donations we have received in the run up to Christmas.
"From children, either on their own or in organisations like the Brownies or a Football club, to adults, individuals or groups and neighbourhoods, from small businesses to big corporate cheques, we’ve had everything.
"People have held collections, decorated windows to encourage donations and donated money.
"And it was lovely to meet some of our supporters in the warehouse when they dropped off donations.
"It’s great to know that we have so much support in the community and we’re proud to be serving this community by helping out families in crisis.
"We could not continue our work if we didn’t have this support and we’re so grateful that people are standing behind us."
Katharina confirmed that the foodbank had received an amazing eight tons of donations during December so far, up until Christmas Eve.
Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey praised locals for their kindness, but added that she hoped action would be taken to reduce the number of people forced to use the resource to begin with.
Ms Haughey said: "Whilst Scotland as a whole has seen a decrease in the number of emergency food parcels, no one should have to rely on charitable food provision.
"It’s an incredibly sad reality that people across Rutherglen and Cambuslang still require their use, and particularly so over the Christmas period. That must change.
"I dropped off a donation with my staff earlier this week, and it was clear just how generous the community has been with many donations from individuals, groups, and local businesses.
"The compassion and selflessness of the volunteers is truly commendable, but we know that foodbanks are not a long-term solution to poverty. We must end the need for foodbanks as a primary response to food insecurity."
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