Lochaber Food Bank

YEAR ROUND FOOD BANK

Iain Ferguson Unfortunately, for some people food banks are needed all year round and not just at Christmas. Perhaps to emphasise this, Lochaber Food Bank now marks 10 years of operation in the area.

Numbers do go up and down, but Lochaber Food Bank, based at Aird’s Crossing in Fort William, regularly supports at least 100 people and their families every week. There is often a misconception that using a food bank means that someone is out of work and therefore can’t support themselves, but that is certainly not the case.

These days more and more people who hold down full-time or part-time jobs find that they are just not earning enough to pay all their bills and feed themselves and their families.

Fortunately many businesses and individuals in the community help through donations of goods and money, in addition to the volunteers who give up their time to run the food bank and make sure it is there when people need it.

Manager Alex McConachie was an early volunteer who, due to experience of similar organisations in urban areas came along to help ‘for a few weeks’. Ten years on, he is still volunteering to help people, now in the role of manager.

This dedication also applies to the other volunteers whose commitment is total and who make time to ensure that they not only serve their clients with a warm welcome, but also that the shelves are stocked with the items that people need and can actually make use of.

If you are fortunate enough not to need the services of the food bank you still have an important role to play in helping them provide for those that do. The list of items is often very basic and no different to what most people would buy on a regular shopping trip, such as tinned food – soup, meat, vegetables, bread, milk (UHT is best as people may not have a fridge), diluting juice, toilet rolls, kitchen roll, soap, shampoo, house cleaning materials, even batteries and perhaps some chocolates or sweets.

One tip is that when you are buying one of these products for yourself, get another, or take advantage of the buy one get one free offers and donate one to the food bank. Many local shops and supermarkets now have areas to place your donation as you leave the store, or even pre-packed food bank bags of different values which you can pick up, pay for and put into the donation point – all very easy and only takes a few seconds of your time to help others.

Josh Taylor raised £120 for Lochaber Food Bank with a show in his back garden.

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