No birthday gifts but twins give to food bank instead
Enough to feed five families for three days
A pair of kind-hearted Perth twins decided to forgo birthday presents this year and instead managed to donate 100 kilos of food to those in need.
Brothers Vinnie and Gregory Bruce celebrated their ninth birthday earlier this month and, instead of asking their friends for gifts, they asked them to donate something to Perth and Kinross Foodbank.
Between the two boys, who attend Craigclowan Preparatory School, 106 kilos of food was donated, enough to feed five families for three whole days.
Mum Lorna said she was incredibly proud of the pair: “Normally the twins have a cinema party and around 40 children come and they all bring them both presents.
“It is too much, they are both really lucky boys who get lots of presents, and it has not long been Christmas.
“We discussed it and thought it would be a good idea if everyone at their party brought something for the food bank instead, so we agreed they would get some Lego but then nothing else from their friends.
“I spoke to them about how there are children less well off than them and they can’t have something nice to eat for their breakfast, for example.
“Both Vinnie and Gregory were totally on board and thought it was a great idea.
“When we put out the birthday invites, we said ‘strictly no presents’ and all of their friends were really on board with it.
“They were so generous, we managed to get lots of food.
“We were overwhelmed with their generosity, when we unpacked it all we couldn’t believe how much there was.”
The two boys and their mum went to drop all the food off at the food bank, which is based on Cutlog Vennel in Perth city centre.
Lorna continued: “The staff there were really impressed.
“It completely filled the lift at the food bank.
“It was lovely for the boys to see, I don’t think they would have been more pleased with presents.
“We are really proud of them, they are lovely, selfless little guys, we are very proud of them.”
Eleanor Kelleher, project coordinator at Perth and Kinross Foodbank, said the donations will go a long way to helping other families in the area.
She said: “It was lovely, it is always so nice when kids do these things for the food bank.
“They managed to get over 100 kilos of food, and that will feed about five families for three days. “It was such a nice gesture. “More families and children are being fed from the food bank. We have had a 35 per cent increase in the number of children using us.
“Kids are hearing more about it in schools now and the food bank is more in the public eye so people are more aware that we exist.
“It is horrible kids feel they have to do this to help other people out, but it is a lovely gesture as well.”
When we unpacked it all we couldn’t believe how much there was