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SANTANDER HELPS HUNGRY FAMILIES
Paisley High Street’s Santander branch is running a special Easter appeal to raise money for a local foodbank.
Staff at the bank are inviting customers to donate essential items to the collection which will then be handed to the Renfrewshire Foodbank on Abercorn Street, run by the Trussell Trust.
Customer service manager for Santander Graeme Taylor said he and his colleagues are aware some of their customers rely heavily on foodbanks and bank staff want to do as much as they can to help out.
Graeme told the Express: “Most of our staff live in and know the local area and just through speaking to some of our customers, they’ve divulged that they’ve been using food banks.
“Collectively, we thought a few years ago, let’s start doing something at Christmas, and this time we’re running an Easter appeal.
“We’re already collecting at the moment. It’s just a collective effort in the branch – we know some people’s situation isn’t great at a difficult time of the year.
“The staff will be donating to the appeal and if customers want to, they can feel free.”
Graeme revealed he and his colleagues have been taken aback by the incredible support already shown by customers and the local community who have come forward to donate food for those in need.
He added: “When we’ve run it before at Christmas, we’ve been absolutely blown away with the number of things customers have brought in. The generosity of the local area has been really good.
“The Trussell Trust are absolutely delighted as well. It’s such a good cause – I know a few different places are collecting for them as well. In the times we live in now, if we can do anything to help the local area, then we thought this would be best thing to do.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the volume of food that has been handed in.
“For this particular collection, we’re collecting between now and March 18, and we’ll do a drop-off at the end of that.”
The town’s Renfrewshire Foodbank was set up in partnership with the Trussell Trust with the aim to provide emergency food relief to individuals and families experiencing financial hardship.
They say: “Today in Renfrewshire there are families struggling to put food on the table.
“For people on low incomes, a sudden crisis – redundancy, benefit delay or even an unexpected bill – can mean going hungry.
“Every day parents skip meals to feed their children and people are forced to choose between paying the rent and eating.”
To find out how to donate, please call 0300 102 2500.
We’re absolutely delighted with the volume of food that has been handed in