They are the ‘newly hungry’ – the people for whom three meals a day are suddenly no longer a given.
Their numbers in the north-east have risen this year amid rising fuel bills and the cost-of-living crisis.
It is an already dire situation put in stark relief as the holidays approach. People for the first time face the prospect of going without a Christmas dinner.
“I think there’s a lot of people that are just simply can’t afford a Christmas meal this year,” says Julie Gray, manager of The Haven, a community food larder in Stonehaven.
To readdress the balance, Fordoun farm shop Castleton Farms has teamed up with The Haven as well as food larder Bervie Pantry to help put more food on tables this holiday season.
For every one of Castleton Farms’ prepared Christmas dinners donated by the public, the company will donate another for free.
Each microwavable meal costs £14.95 and includes turkey with all the trimmings and dessert. They are then given to The Haven and Bervie Pantry for distribution to people in the area.
‘Food is the glue that binds us’
It is the first time Castleton Farms has run the project, and Julie at The Haven says it will provide critical help to the newly hungry at a difficult time of year.
But it’s not just the prospect of a solid, nutritious meal that the project ensures.
“Food is the glue that binds us,” she says. “It’s a social thing, it’s a family event, it’s friends getting together. Not having that facility to have a warm Christmas meal and celebrate that day, it’s really quite sad.”
Julia adds: “[With the Castleton meal], people will be able to celebrate Christmas in a more traditional fashion that otherwise they couldn’t afford. And because it can be heated up in a microwave, it uses a lot less energy to be used, which again helps people who are really struggling.
Julie says people come in to the larder with no credit on prepayment meters, or not enough money for heating because recent price rises are so steep.
“It’s pretty grim,” she adds.
The Haven operates on a membership system, which costs £5 a year for a single member. There is a pay-it-forward scheme for those who can’t afford the joining fee.
Julie says the larder has seen a 50% jump in memberships this year as the cost-of-living crisis pushes more people into food poverty, including those in full-time employment.
“The latest figures from the council are that there’s more people in employment living in poverty in Aberdeenshire than unemployed,” she adds. “So it is very challenging times.”
Castleton Farm Christmas dinner project exceeds expectations
The Christmas dinner project launched just five days ago but has already been an success.
The 100 meals The Haven ordered and the 30 for Bervie Pantry have been fulfilled.
Castleton Farm owner Anna Mitchell, who came up with the idea, says the scheme will continue to run even though it has hit its targets.
In fact, she expects Castleton to be delivering meals until February when community food larders still require donations.
According to Anna, people love the pay-it-forward project, with some even turning it into a Christmas gift.
“People have donated to this in lieu of a Christmas present for someone,” she says.
Others have added the donations on to the end of bills at the Castleton Farm cafe and shop. On the website, some have donated as many as five Christmas dinners.
“People have been very generous,” Anna says.
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