Food charity launches appeal

Foodbank charity Start Up Stirling is encouraging supporters to provide food or cleaning donations from their Spring Shopping List.

The food items donated will be used to support people in local communities who are accessing Start Up’s Crisis Food service.

The cleaning items are given out as part of its home support packs, helping people who are setting up their new home when they receive the keys to new tenancies.

Some of the items needed most this Spring at Start Up Stirling include: tinned meat, UHT milk, breakfast cereal, cooking sauce, breakfast bars, tinned pasta and tinned vegetables.

Start Up Stirling’s communities and fundraising manager Julie Christie said: “spring signifies the start of the new season of the year and new beginnings.

“Our Crisis Food and Home Support services help the individuals and families that we support to have a new start at a time in their lives when they need our help the most.

“If you can leave a donation at one of our donation stations, or at our warehouse, you could make a real difference to someone’s life.”

Demand for Crisis Food has never been higher, says the charity.

“In 2023, Start Up Stirling provided the equivalent of 146,868 meals and supported 3,971 individuals, a third of whom were children,” said Julie. “this trend has continued into 2024, so the need as we move towards the Easter school holidays has never been greater.”

For more information, follow the posts on Facebook (startup.stirling), contact the Start Up Stirling office on 01786 561027, or deliver food donations to the charity’s warehouse at 16b Whitehouse Road, Stirling FK7 7SP, from Tuesday to Friday, 9am until 3pm. For larger donations, please ring in advance.