A north-east church congregation has found a new way to feed the homeless after members had to stop inviting people in for hot meals.
Over the last two years, St Colomba’s church in Banchory has plated up dinners for the homeless in St.Mary’s Cathedral on a monthly basis.
The initiative was recently placed on hold due to social distancing guidelines.
Members have now teamed up with a grocery shop in the town to ensure that struggling individuals can still receive food and other essentials.
Local parishioner and a member of the Order of Malta, Angus Hay, leads the project.
He said: “We had to rethink this operation when the project ceased as a result of the Covid lockdown, as it would not have been possible to enforce safe social distancing at that time.
“However, this obstacle did not hold back the parishoners, who wished to find an alternative way of continuing to help provide food and household items for the homeless. ”
Mr Hay contacted the Hill of Banchory Co-op store and staff there were able to help by providing surplus food donations on a daily basis.
The items are collected and stored, and then delivered twice a week to the cathedral.
They are distributed to the homeless by local members of the St Vincent de Paul Society and the St Andrew’s Community.
