Foodbank in Wishaw appeals for donations as stock runs low while numbers in need remain high

Daily Record

4 days ago

The service at South Wishaw Parish Church provides in excess of 80 food packages a week
Wishaw Community Foodbank is feeling the pinch and being forced to cut back on the size of food parcels it is handing out due to a drop in the amount of donations it's receiving.
The foodbank which operates from South Wishaw Parish Church on East Academy Street provides food packages to around 80 individuals, many of them with families, each week.
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It has been running for two years and receives donations from local supermarkets and schools, as well as the general public but there's been a reduction recently.
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Wishaw Community Foodbank's Mari Lindsay, said: 'At the moment we're finding our donations are falling, we do get donations of fresh items twice a week from Tesco and we've been getting donations of loaves from Warburtons weekly.
'The foodbank has been running for some two years now and today we had 41 people through our doors looking for food parcels. There were a similar number on Tuesday. We're getting at least 80 requests for groceries every week.
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'The numbers coming through the doors are remaining pretty static, we get around 80 to 90 requests each week over the two days we open. The donations from local businesses and schools has fallen off so we've had to reduce the amount we're giving out because we don't have the stock. Schools and businesses in the area have been very good with us.
"People tend to think of us round around Christmas time and give big donations then, but the rest of the year it's sort of forgotten about. It's not just Christmas we need help, we still need donations irrespective of what time of year it is. We're just looking to remind people the demand is still there.
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'What we don't have in stock we have to buy out of the congregational givings and, like almost every other church, it's an ageing population. The church having any excess is practically a thing of the past.
'I'll also need to get in touch with the Dogs' Trust who normally bring us pet food as we have none.'
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A community café also runs from the Wishaw church but they are unsure how long this will be able to continue.
'Our Community Café offers tea/coffee and a hot filled roll free of charge. Denholm's the bakers in Wishaw are very kind to us and we receive cakes and rolls from them every week but everything else is funded by donations or weekly givings from our congregation, so we don't know how much longer we can sustain this. There's going to come a point that we can't do it for free.'
The foodbank opens on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 10am to 12noon and any donations will be gratefully received.