An Aberdeen foodbank is gearing up to deliver nearly 60,000 festive meals to struggling families – with more requests for support still flooding in every day.
Volunteers at Somebody Cares Scotland have been working around the clock, wrapping up Christmas parcels with food and festive goodies for those most in need this winter.
With the cost of living crisis putting a strain on many, the charity is facing its biggest Christmas operation in years as the demand for their services increases daily.
Now they’re appealing for drivers to help them get a bumper number of parcels out this week.
Last year, they distributed a total of 24,630 meals to households across the north-east to ensure no family went without the essentials over the festive period.
But chief operating officer Alison Topley said these numbers have now doubled as a growing amount of people find themselves having to turn to foodbanks for help.
She added there has been an increase in requests from schools this year, with almost every family in some catchment areas in Aberdeen appealing for their support.
“Our Christmas operation is huge this year,” Ms Topley said. “We have had hundreds of requests already and more keep coming in every minute all throughout the day.
“I came in on Friday morning and there had been 66 new requests overnight – and they were mainly from schools with vulnerable families who need our help.
“The biggest concern at this point is keeping the shelves stocked with enough food. I’m clearing all stock and we have been in the shops every day trying to keep on top of it.”
‘The perfect storm for foodbanks’
More than 400 households will receive a 10-day food parcel with fresh produce, tinned meals, as well as gifts and treats for the little ones, to help them get through the month.
Every bag has been tailored according to the family’s needs and has also been equipped with toiletries or other special items to cater for each and everyone’s circumstances.
But while volunteers are doing their best to meet demand, the number of requests have started to exceed the number of donations coming onto their now empty stock shelves.
Ms Topley fears she might have to be forced to make a compromise with the amount of parcels going out their doors unless more food items start flooding back in.
She said: “Last Christmas we were thinking ‘This is really bad. How are going to feed this city?’ – and we managed to do it because the public was really generous and got behind us.
“But now: one, food is more expensive; two, the people that used to buy the donations probably can’t afford it, and three, some of them might actually have to use our services.
“That’s the scary bit this year. I keep seeing people, from areas of Aberdeen you would never expect to be using a foodbank, to now have to resort to our services.
“Some of them need us every month, and some every week. And if we don’t feed them, they can’t heat their homes and keep themselves warm.
“It’s been the perfect storm – everything just crashed at the same time, and it seems to be getting worse and worse.”
Heartfelt appeal as donations drop
Ms Topley is now appealing to the public to get behind them with donations once again and help them support families from as far as Peterhead over the holidays.
The charity is currently most in need of tins of meat, Christmas goodies, soup, rice and festive chocolates, however, any other donation will also be more than welcome.
She is also looking for volunteer drivers to help with delivering the festive parcels over the next two days, as she fears they won’t manage the overload of boxes ready to go out. Anyone who can help should contact the charity directly on 01224 460700.
People can also fund a voucher for a Festive Food Parcel – or any other item on their Christmas list – on the charity’s website.
The Big Christmas Food Appeal
The Press and Journal and Evening Express are working hard to signpost people to the help available to them this winter as part of The Big Christmas Food Appeal.
We’re also trying to destigmatise food poverty, while helping charity partne Cfine – which supports food banks across Grampian and the Highlands – by boosting cash and food donations.
We are also working to highlight the vital work of foodbanks in the region – such as Somebody Cares Scotland – and signpost people to the support available.
As part of our efforts, we have opened a number of Big Christmas Food Appeal drop-off points across the north and north-east – which will remain open until December 23.
Donations can also be made via our JustGiving page or the special Amazon shopping list Cfine built for the appeal.
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