Big-hearted staff turn library into food bank
KIND-hearted library staff have been making up food parcels to hand out to desperate families after they were forced to stop handing out food bank vouchers.
Staff at West Calder Library in West Lothian donated food and essentials from their own pockets to help people who can’t afford the bus fare to the nearest council office – seven miles away in Livingston.
Staffing issues meant workers with permission to issue vouchers for local food banks were not always available, forcing users to make the trek to an alternative venue.
A member of staff at the library, who asked not to be named, said: “We can’t give out vouchers just now so we made up some food parcels to give to people who have been referred to a food bank.
“It’s just to help them until a permanent solution can be found. We all donated things to put in the parcels.”
A source said: “The bus from West Calder to Livingston costs £2.70 return for one adult.
“If people are having to use a food bank, they most likely don’t have the spare cash for bus fares – particularly if they have to pay for children, too.
“Then they have to travel again to the food bank which could mean a journey to Whitburn, Bathgate or Livingston.”
One recipient of the parcel said his poor health had resulted in him being forced to ask for help from a food bank.
He said: “I went to my local authority council office yesterday in my local library in West Calder to inquire about a food bank voucher.
“But when I arrived, we were told that they are no longer handing out the vouchers for my area due to lack of staff.
“The next office is 20 minutes on a bus to Livingston. What are families who can’t afford the bus to do?
“It’s shocking but the staff of the library had made up bags of food which they had bought themselves.
“I really felt for them having to do this out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s shocking that in this day and age this is happening.”
A spokesman for West Lothian Council said: “Trained customer information service staff are qualified to determine whether a food bank voucher can be issued to a customer.
“If there are no CIS staff onsite, for whatever reason, it is not always possible to issue food bank vouchers. There are alternatives and customers can approach other agencies or services for a voucher.
“For example, the Citizens Advice Bureau.
“The food bank itself can be contacted for confirmation of where referrals are carried out.”
He added: “Some staff in West Calder Library have brought in food which can be issued to customers in an emergency, without the need for a voucher.
“This is not food which has been donated to the food bank – it’s food which staff have brought in from home and can help some people who find themselves in an emergency.
“We are currently looking at providing training to another member of staff to offer more resilience at West Calder and recent staffing issues have now been improved.”