A Highland charity wants more frontline professional workers to register with the region’s food bank to help identify those in crisis.
Blythswood Care is urging social workers, medical staff, housing officers, school liaison officers, probation officers, citizens advice advisers and clergy to sign up to the Highland Foodbank.
Last year it received 38 tonnes of food by individuals, schools, businesses and churches and 2.5 tonnes were given during the Christmas and New Year period alone.
This helped 4,500 people who didn’t have enough money to buy food.
Finlay Mackenzie, head of projects at Blythswood Care, said: “People in the north have been incredibly generous and I want to thank everyone who donated.
“But Highland Foodbank also depends on agents to identify people in crisis and to issue them with food bank vouchers. The more agents we have the more people we can help and the less will be the risk of individuals or families going hungry.
“Due to the nature of their work, these professionals are best placed to identify people in a genuine crisis and issue a food bank voucher to them.”
Potential agents are asked to contact Blythswood’s foodbank development officer Laura Ferguson on 01349 830084 or email laura.ferguson@blythswood.org
Donors are also being asked to consider giving tinned fish and meat such as tuna, corned beef and ham, which along with potatoes are items the food bank is short of.
Blythswood’s charity superstores at Highland Deephaven, Evanton and at 15b Harbour Road, Inverness can receive donations of food from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
Small donations can also be left at other Blythswood shops but, as some have limited space, people making larger donations are asked to phone 01349 830777.