Glasgow Drumchapel Food Bank in urgent appeal for items

Drumchapel Food Bank relies on the public’s donations to provide seven-day emergency supplies to those in the local and wider community experiencing financial hardship.

However, the organisation’s shelves are now almost empty and staff fear they will not be able to fulfil this week and next week’s parcels.

Drumchape Foodbank's shelves are almost empty and staff fear they will not be able to fulfil this week's and next week's parcels.

While the food bank routinely experiences a drop in supply around this time of year, staff member Ryan McGeady has never seen anything like this.

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He said: “We’re always a bit short two weeks every year around this time, but this year is particularly bad.

“It’s definitely been triggered by the cost-of-living crisis.”

Drumchapel Foodbank relies on the public's donations to help locals facing financial hardship.

The number of households accessing the service has almost doubled compared to a year ago.

Mr McGeady said, in the pre-Covid period, the foodbank served between 60 to 70 households per week.

But now, as many as 130 families use the service each week, including a family of two adults and seven children.

In total, this would include 400 to 500 people.

Simultaneously, due to the rising costs of living, most people can no longer afford to get that extra item into their shopping basket for those who have even less.

Donations to the Glasgow foodbank have plummeted as previous donors have also been hit by the cost-of-living crisis

“The increase in demand plays a part,” added Mr McGeady, “but there is also a severe decrease in supply.

“Regular donors are just normal people who have also been hit by the crisis.

“Some have been coming to donate for as long as seven years, but now they are struggling as well.

“We’re just looking for literally everything we stock at the moment.”

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On Wednesday, the food bank posted an appeal on its Facebook page, reaching out to locals to donate some much-needed supplies.

The items needed include:

Cereals/porridge

Tinned spaghetti hoops

Tinned beans

Tinned tuna

Tinned tomatoes

Pasta sauce/curry sauce

Tinned peas

Tinned carrots

Tinned sweetcorn

Tinned potatoes

Tinned meatballs

Tinned hot dogs

Tinned custard

Tinned rice pudding

Tinned fruit

Pasta 'n' sauce

Instant noodles

Biscuits

Tinned mac 'n' cheese

Teabags

Sugar

Coffee

UHT milk

Toilet rolls

Shower gel/shampoo/conditioner

Donations can be dropped off at Unit 9, 15 Ladyloan Place, Drumchapel, G15 8LB, from Monday to Friday, from 9am until 3pm.

Donations to the Sainbury’s and B&M stores in Drumchapel also go to the food bank.

For all other enquiries you can contact Drumchapel Food Bank on 0141 944 3335.