Renfrewshire Foodbank is looking for volunteers to help it deal with the mountain of generous donations.
The service is a lifeline for many across Renfrewshire who rely on its free food parcels to feed themselves and their families.
And the people of the district are always generous to donate to the service, with many handing in items over the festive period.
Now project manager Crystal Clayton says they need more volunteers to help them make up and distribute the parcels.
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She said: “Over Christmas we had quite a lot of donations which is great but it means we need more people to cover shifts in the warehouse as well as drivers.
“Because of covid we’ve been stretched as well. We’ve got over 100 volunteers but can only have four on shift in the warehouse.
“Each volunteer has a different role to play. In the warehouse, people are making up parcels. At distribution, people are handing out the parcels to people as well as signposting people to different organisations where they can get support they might need.”
One of the current volunteers Lynne, said: “I have volunteered in the Foodbank Warehouse in Renfrew since retiring a few years ago.
“I enjoy making a practical contribution to supporting the local community. It’s dreadful that there is still food poverty in 2022.
“I would encourage other people to think about volunteering as well as contributing to the community, it’s a great way to make friends and I enjoy the company of the other volunteers.”
Rena, who volunteers at the distributions, said: “I have been a volunteer for five years and it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.
“Working with a great team and being able to help people in many different ways is a privilege. Especially during this difficult time we are experiencing.”
Shifts are available during office hours, Monday to Friday from 9am till 5pm. Crystal said they need people for various dates and times and they can work around whatever time people can afford to give.
Last year, Renfrewshire Foodbank handed out more than 7,300 food parcels to people in crisis. It distributed 86 tonnes of food during 2021 at its bases in Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone.
Crystal said: “We will be here to support people until we’re not needed.
“The long-term vision is to make sure people can afford the essentials without having to rely on a foodbank.
“We’re in a really good position we can help and support people for as long as they need us to.
“People in Renfrewshire have always been generous and continue to support us. The support we receive is phenomenal, if we put out an appeal for something then there’s always people at the door.
“We can’t thank people enough for what they do. Without their donations, we would struggle.”
Crystal worked in hospitality and had volunteered for a number of years before taking on the project manager role late last year. She’s working alongside Alister Reid, the project lead who deals with strategy and fundraising and Duncan Stevenson, the warehouse coordinator.
She said: “I find it really rewarding. The signposting is a really important part of what we do. People come here for the food parcels but we can also help them get the support they need. We work closely with other partners like Citizens Advice Bureau and Advice Works.
“We want to help people get to the root of their problem. We chat to people for five minutes at distribution and that can make a big difference.
“They often go away a lot happier than when they arrived.”
To volunteer, go to https://renfrewshire.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/volunteer/ and fill out the application form.
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