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Rising demand for emergency food parcels     26/2/13

A foodbank is being set up in the Western Isles to help people hit by hard times.

It plans to open its doors to the public mid-March and is seeking volunteers to assist its operation.

The Eilean Siar Foodbank is a partnership between the New Wine Church and the Trussell Trust and works with professional agencies to help the hungry.

A spokesman explained: “Hard times can hit anyone from any background at anytime.

“There are people in the Western Isles who struggle every day to meet their financial commitments and many have to choose between paying their bills and feeding their families.

“Redundancy, illness, benefit delay, domestic violence, debt, family breakdown and paying for the additional costs of heating during winter are just some of the reasons why people go hungry.”

He added: “There is already a great need for this service in the Western Isles and this need is expected to increase dramatically with the upcoming benefit reforms and the declining economy.”

Need for the foodbank has been shown from the demand for an emergency food delivery service delivered by the New Wine Church in Stornoway for the past two years.

It is receiving up to four callouts per week from as far afield as Barra.

The spokesman highlighted: “Once the foodbank opens to the public, we expect the demand to be much higher.

“The professional agencies with whom we work are warning of greater need and less support for those who need it, so it is expected that the Eilean Siar Foodbank will be used by an increasing number of people as 2013 progresses.”

There are various ways for islanders to get involved. You can give financially, donate food or volunteer to help at the foodbank itself.

Volunteers play a huge part in the running of the service and it cannot operate without people who give up their time and energy to help out.

You can volunteer anything from a few hours at an event to five days a week - any contribution of time would be really valued.  

The different aspects of volunteering include, sorting donated food ready for distribution; working in the foodbank centre, meeting clients and handing out food or helping out at a supermarket collection.

In addition backshop duties include assisting with administration as well as doing maintenance or DIY.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact Gavin Lawson, project manager for the Eilean Siar Foodbank on 07919 544 154 or by writing to him at Father’s House, 37-39 Point Street, Stonroway.

13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK and every day people in the UK go hungry. Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK.

In 2011-12 foodbanks fed 128,687 people nationwide, in 2012-13 we anticipate this number will increase to over 230,000. Rising costs of food and fuel combined with static income, high unemployment and changes to benefits are causing more and more people to come to foodbanks for help.

All food is donated by the public and sorted by volunteers. Frontline care professionals such as doctors and social workers identify people in crisis and issue a food voucher.

Clients receive three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food in exchange for their food voucher. Foodbanks also make time to chat and to signpost clients to other helpful services.

The Trussell Trust works to empower local communities to combat poverty and exclusion. It says it works with the “people that society forgets, providing practical help through sustainable projects and enabling each person to realise that they are valued.”

Its vision is “to build communities where people of all backgrounds are included and have the opportunity to live in dignity with hope for the future.”