Huge response for council festive collection

Members of the housing team had asked council workers and residents to donate gifts and food to help vulnerable service users.

Hard work collecting throughout December paid off, as they were inundated with items to make Christmas and New Year that bit more special for those in need.

Councillor Danny Devlin, ERC’s convener for housing, said: “There has been an incredible response to this appeal, and we have been overwhelmed at the generosity of people across the area.

“It meant we were able to hand over very generous packages to people in our community who really do need our support.”

A pile of gifts and huge amounts of food were given to families and children living in temporary homeless accommodation, as well as vulnerable young people.

Donations were also sent to the East Renfrewshire Foodbank in Barrhead, to help people using the emergency food service. There were so many donations that some were also sent to Women’s Aid and the Salvation Army, to assist even more vulnerable families within the community.

And a further £180 was raised by raffling a hamper at council offices, which will be used to buy food vouchers for homeless families.

Councillor Devlin added: “I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated - this will have made a real difference to vulnerable families and residents over the festive period and beyond.

“Thank you too to the kind-hearted housing services staff who collected and delivered the donations in their own time.”