Volunteers in Inverness have spread some Christmas cheer to the community by creating festive hampers to help people through the cost of living crisis.
Members of the Smithton, King’s and Barn Churches, Culloden, raised thousands of pounds to make up 200 hampers for people experiencing a “tough” Christmas.
The volunteer group in charge of the hampers has found it harder to get donations this year as many of their usual contributors – like supermarkets – were already doing their own thing to ease the burden.
Lorna Mason, who led the Christmas hamper scheme this year, reached out to several supermarkets asking for donations.
After receiving help from Spar, Morrisons, Co-op and Cfine, she realised the donations “didn’t amount to anything near what they needed”.
Normally the hampers would be full of donated food delivered by the pallet load, however, this year it was bags of food.
Not to be disheartened, the volunteer team reached out to members of the three churches who donated more than £7,000 to buy food.
Once the food had been collected, 15 volunteers helped pack the hampers at the Barn Church in just two days.
The hampers include staples like biscuits, pasta, soup, packet sauces and for a little bit of Christmas magic – mince pies and selection boxes.
Many hampers can feed a family of four for a week, with some smaller hampers for single people.
‘It’s showing God’s love in action’
Mrs Mason said: “On the first night, we managed to pack 120 hampers in just four and half hours, and I’d put the whole week aside for packing with various volunteers coming in.
“The next day, we had more volunteers come along and by 1pm, the hampers were finished and ready for delivery.”
Also included in the hampers is a list of the warm hubs available in the area.
Various groups, including Women’s Aid, social work and local schools collected hampers while the rest were delivered.
“It’s very important for the community because the churches are here not just to look after themselves, they are here to look after their community.
“Just to be able to offer something to the people and have them accept it when they really need it the most, it’s showing God’s love in action.
“It’s terrible to think that people do need your help with basics like food.”
Community fridge is a lifeline
Mrs Mason also looks after the GoodNess community fridge located outside the Barn Church.
Some people queue from 8am when the fridge automatically unlocks.
The service is essential as food prices remain high, with Mrs Mason saying that most of the food they put into the fridge overnight is gone by the next afternoon.
She estimates that a minimum of 20 people access the fridge daily, which has shelved for ambient goods and a large fridge for milk, salad packs and cold items.
Donations come from various sources, including Co-op and Nisa and a monthly pallet delivery from Cfine – the foodbank charity being supported by The Press and Journal’s Big Food Appeal.
Mrs Mason said: “The community fridge has been very well used and we have noted that are left by people saying ‘thank you so much we couldn’t have fed our grandchildren if we hadn’t had this’ and you just appreciate how people do use it.
“That’s what it’s all about, having the community come together and people knowing and understanding where the food is coming from and where it’s going.”
In addition to the community fridge, the Barn Church will open its doors in January as both a warm hub and café serving hot drinks and hot food such as soup.
The soup will be made by schoolchildren from the Duncan Forbes Primary School.
The Big Christmas Food Appeal
The Press and Journal, Evening Express, Energy Voice and Original 106 are working with charity partner Cfine to support initiatives like this one.
Our appeal is raising money for Cfine – which supports foodbanks across the Highlands and Grampian – while also boosting supplies in the warehouse.
We’re also celebrating the efforts of community groups who are trying to ensure nobody goes hungry this winter.
The appeal also aims to signpost the help available to people struggling with the cost of living – check out our interactive foodbanks map, or our list of warm spaces near you.
Conversation