Cautious welcome for food pantries
A Johnstone councillor has insisted more must be done to bring working people out of poverty following a decision to establish two new community food pantries.
Renfrewshire Council is set to work with charity Recovery Across Mental Health ( RAMH) to develop two pantries at the Restore superstore in Paisley and the former Johnstone police station as part of a social renewal plan to tackle inequality and deprivation.
It will also give the STAR Project £ 25,000 of funding to support its pantry in Shortroods.
But Councillor Andy Doig said he gave a “cautious welcome” to the idea at a meeting of the Leadership Board this week as he expressed fears over the number of working people struggling to get by.
“I hope this builds on the good work of groups like the Lochwinnoch community food group and others in
Renfrewshire, but I’m worried this is a sign of food insecurity where low wages play a big part,” said the independent councillor.
“I support this, but I feel we do need to keep an eye on the fundamental causes of why people in work are still struggling to feed themselves.”
Laura McIntyre, head of the council’s corporate procurement unit, said the pantry model was about providing people with a “dignified” way of getting supplies.
She said: “People are able to access foods that are appropriate for their families in a way that works for them.
“We have seen a significant increase in people requiring this support around low income and not always unemployment. These initiatives [in the social renewal plan] are about different options to meet different needs in our communities.”
Council leader Iain Nicolson added: “The fact there’s a whole group of people who are not in crisis mode, but are nearly there if they don’t get access to the right support is something we’ve been discussing.
“We know there are people out there who are just getting by and it’s about trying to get that nuanced support put in place for these people.”
The council will also inject £25,000 into establishing a Renfrewshire Community Food Fund, £ 50,000 into providing advice to people struggling with fuel costs and £50,000 to help people access benefits and affordable credit.
It is hoped this funding will help tackle child poverty and provide financial support to families affected by the end of the furlough scheme later this year.
Meanwhile, a total of £200,000 will go towards developing a community hub model for Renfrewshire which will provide a one-stop local service to support those in need.
Temporary hubs were set up by the council and its partners at the start of the coronavirus crisis to provide communities with access to vital support services.
Councillor Nicolson added: “Our social renewal plan puts people at the heart of our Covid-19 recovery and will allow us to strengthen our ability to not only meet the impact of covid, but ensure we are ready and have the support in place to help our communities and residents as we navigate our way through this pandemic.”
We know there are people out there who are just about getting by