Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
New foodbank to cope with demand
THE team behind Kirkton Com mu n it y L a rde r has warned Dundee to expect “a lot of trauma” – even after the Covid-19 crisis ends.
Due to a rise in demand – especially from families, students and the self-employed – the team has been forced to open a new foodbank in St Mary’s.
And talks have already started with the Red Cross to help the team plan for the longer term.
Eddie Baines, who works at the Kirkton Larder, said: “Demand across all of Strathmartine has been mad. We’re getting about 150 people and counting a week.”
He said the number of people seeking emergency food parcels has grown significantly since lockdown started.
The St Mary’s foodbank aims to provide food for up to 60 people and Eddie said he hoped it would not be inundated by a “huge number of people” needing help.
He said: “There seem to be a lot more families coming to us than before. There are lots of kids too. We’re trying to get more colouring books and pencils.
“We’ve also seen l ots of selfemployed people and students from the colleges coming in,” he added.
“At least three-quarters of our customers have been new faces. It’s been absolutely crazy.”
Kirkton Community Larder has been working with other food delivery groups across Dundee during the Covid-19 crisis.
That collaboration is helping the city with its strategy to reach as many people as possible.
Eddie reassured those worried about the future of the foodbank that reserves had been built up, thanks in part to Dundee City Council donating food instead of money.
As a result, the team is now planning how to cope with the fallout after the crisis ends. “The trauma of this all is going to affect a lot of people and we’ll need to deal with that,” said Eddie.
“All of a sudden life changed for everyone. How do we just go back to normal after that?”
The new larder at St Mary’s Community Centre will be open on Tuesdays from 11am-2pm.
It will also be open during the same hours on a Thursday at The Attic on Beauly Avenue.