Watch: How you can help Glasgow foodbanks this Christmas

While many Glaswegians will be tucking in to the traditional Christmas dinner come December 25, there will be individuals and families just struggling to put food on the table this festive season.

Thankfully, kind-hearted volunteers help run foodbanks around Glasgow to help keep people fed at what can be a tough time of year.

Covid challenges

Don Palmer, co-ordinator at Auldhouse Foodbank, explained that the organisation produces Christmas gifts for people with toiletries and sweets for kids, a number of which have already been given out.

However, with Omicron spreading and Covid levels rising, foodbanks are facing tough decisions this Christmas.

“Because we’re not just a foodbank but also a community cafe, we serve Christmas treats, welcome people in because they might not have much company, and obviously serve people with food,” he explained.

“However, because of recent announcements from the First Minister and the Prime Minister we are considering closing because of the risk of Covid at the moment.

“We don’t know what we’re going to do. That’s the challenge of trying to serve people in an open space where people are mixing, at a time when Covid levels are rising.”

Donations

Claire McCunnie, development manager at Glasgow South West Foodbank, said the organisation is looking for any Christmas items - anything from selection boxes for kids to Christmas puddings - as well as usual items like tinned vegetables, tinned salmon and tinned puddings.

Claire said the aim of the foodbank this Christmas is to “survive”.

She said: “It’s an extremely busy time of year for us, with referrals coming in and donations coming in. It’s a complete tsunami at Christmas for us. But it’s great - it keeps us going for a few months after Christmas as well.”

Auldhouse Foodbank has been running for eight years - meaning volunteers now know what items people need during the festive season.

“For us, it’s things like long-life milk, sugar, oil,” he said. “It’d be better to say what we don’t need. We don’t need tinned soup, tinned beans, pasta or rice, diluting juice, tinned tuna, tinned fruit, teas, coffees, toiletries.”

Help in the future

Foodbanks around Glasgow only survive thanks to the support of dedicated volunteers.

Claire explained that Glasgow South West Foodbank will be taking on more volunteers in 2022.

“We will be taking new volunteers on,” Claire added. “Obviously with Covid we’ve had to hold back on somethings, but in the New Year we’ll be taking more volunteers on to try and run our centres a wee bit better. Everything is a bit up in the air at the moment.”

Don said Auldhouse Foodbank has built up a presence in the area and does not struggle to get volunteers.

People who would like to join up and support Auldhouse Foodbank can contact the team on their Facebook page.