Kirkcaldy Foodbank appeals for volunteers

Kirkcaldy Foodbank is appealing for volunteers to help run its new distribution point in the town.

The doors to the new premises at Viewforth Church Hall will open in early April.

It will operate from Monday-Wednesday.

Locals are being urged to give some of their free time to provide the extra manpower needed to help set up and manage its daily operations.

The foodbank was launched in Kirkcaldy in 2013, and, since then, has helped thousands of local people and families in crisis by providing emergency food parcels to people in need.

The independent charity gave out more than 1000 food parcels every month last year with debt being recorded as one of the main reasons people visit – along with benefit delays, sanctions and changes.

Joyce Leggate, chairman, said: “We are always looking for volunteers, but at the moment we are looking for people who are happy to be working in a frontline position.

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“Our new premises are in the big hall in Viewforth Church.

“We have divided the hall into two halves with one partto make up the parcels that will be going to our distribution points at Linton Lane centre, New Volunteer House, Link Living and Solid Rock.

“We have also created an area where clients are able to come in and self select what they receive in their food parcel using a points system.”

Driven by the Scottish Government’s Dignity Report, it will give clients the choice to prepare their own parcels.

The report aims to understand the pattern of food poverty and food insecurity in Scotland and to sharpen the measures proposed to tackle this decisively over the next decade.

Joyce said: “It’s great that we are able to offer people a choice.

“We have been looking at the Scottish Government’s Dignity Report and we know that giving people the dignity of choice they are then empowered to go on and make better choices in other parts of their lives.

As well as the big move, Kirkcaldy Foodbank will also be offering fresh and frozen food options to people that use the free service.

Added Joyce: “We are currently in the process of sorting out the refrigeration units, we are also training staff members to achieve their food hygene certificates.”