Where charity begins
A collective of community crusaders opened a thrift shop in a container in order to continue providing food to hard-hit households.
Charity at Home, a not-for-profit organisation in Wishaw, also helps families with clothing and household essentials.
Mum-of-four Angie Cheney, 57, first launched a Facebook page last September with the aim of helping “a few families”.
She said: “In March last year a woman from Cleland had been running Mary’s Angels Facebook page and was looking for help for families.
“I started a wee group among family and friends who all donated food. I would gather it up and buy toiletries, and take it to her. She took not well in the August, but people kept bringing me stuff.
“Someone in my husband’s work donated a big box of food and I thought, ‘what am I meant to do with all this?’.
“I thought I would open a wee charity shop myself. Even if I could help a few families for Christmas. Before we knew it, it just exploded.”
Following an overwhelming response to an appeal for donations of food, clothing and toys, Angie – assisted by family and friends – was able to help more than 100 children and around 30 families have a better Christmas than they otherwise would have.
Clothing donations to the charity is either brand new or in great condition, laundered and sold cheaply, with all funds raised going to buy fresh food for families.
Children from two families were provided with brand new First Communion dresses courtesy of Bebe Prema Baby Boutique.
Angie, a nightshift NHS worker based at Wishaw General, couldn’t do it on her own and relies on a big-hearted band of helpers; daughters Melissa Cheney and Sarah McCabe; Josie Baxter; Pauline Campbell; Lorraine Bunce Nolan; Laura Hutchison; Lyn Mitchell; Patricia Braiden; and her own husband Brian, who is always on hand to do the “running about”.
“I get a buzz out of helping families and I think that may be because of my upbringing,” Angie admits.
“My mum was a single parent with five of us. We were poor.
“In this day and age, kids shouldn’t be going to bed hungry.
“We’ve gone to places and the children are so excited to see us because we’re bringing them food.
“I’ve walked away crying.”
The group also donates good quality clothing and small household items to help families get back on their feet – and it’s completely confidential.
The initiative has been so successful the team decided to rent the container in a gated yard just up from Aldi’s loading bay, enabling them to launch a shop.
It’s open on Wednesday and Thursday each week between 11am and 2pm.
Angie added: “I love doing it.
“I had a big shed out the back, but I was looking about for a unit as it was getting out of hand. Someone mentioned a container and gave me a guy’s number.
“I’ve roped it all the way round so we can hang stuff. People donated rails and I found shelving units on marketplace going for free, and someone I know collected it for petrol money.
“Most of what we sell is only a £1 or £2, as we’re just looking for the money to turn into food vouchers.”
Among the businesses whose help Angie is keen to highlight are, Morrisons community champion Nicole Devine; the domestics at Wishaw General; Law Ambulance Station; and Unison.