A FREE food pantry is making changes to the way they operate due to a major rise in service users amid the cost of living crisis.

Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels say the past few months have been the busiest ever.

In January last year, food and toiletries were being provided to 61 households, with each family receiving around 20 items each.

In January 2023, this had risen to 577 households and 566 the following month – meaning around 20,000 items had been handed out by the charity over the first two months of the year.

The charity has revealed it must make changes to its service to survive the increase in demand.

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A statement read: “Whilst our food donations are high and our supporters are incredibly generous, we cannot sustain this going forward, therefore changes need to be made.

“In 2020 when we started our project, OKFP stood for Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels. In 2022 we implemented changes and OKFP stood for Old Kilpatrick Food Pantry. This year, OKFP will stand for Old Kilpatrick Food Provision.

“Our aims and objectives as a registered charity remain as important to us now as they were when we started: ‘Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels will strive to alleviate food poverty and tackle social isolation in our Community’.”

From April 1, the charity will no longer provide an extensive range of food items in their free pantry.

Instead, service users will receive a free five-item breakfast pack with the choice of bread, breakfast bars, juice, beans, jams or spreads.

Anyone sitting in the charity’s Chatty Café will be offered a free hot two-course lunch, and a choice of a free homemade meal for dinner to take away.

The statement went on to say: “With there being an increase locally in other food banks, pantries, warm hubs, drop-in cafes there really is no longer a shortage of places for people to go to collect food parcels and we want to concentrate to encouraging people to come and socialise in OKFP Hub, collect a breakfast pack, enjoy sitting down for a free lunch in our Chatty Cafe and takeaway a dinner portion to enjoy at home.

“Miscellaneous food items will be available to anyone not wishing to take the five-item breakfast park.

“Toiletries, baby items and pet food will continue to be offered dependent on stock levels and of course, our free surplus food waste items will be readily available daily in addition to everything else.”

“The next couple of weeks of March will be a transitional period as we gently introduce the changes to our service and we ask for your support and patience with our volunteers and employees who are on hand to help you when you visit. Please continue to support us - we are nothing without your help.”

For more information, click here.