Kirkcaldy Foodbank's heartfelt thank you as demand still rises

Kirkcaldy Foodbank has issued a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported it through some of its darkest days since it opened in 2013.

After several weeks of uncertainty, and with funding and supply issues, the vital service is struggling to meet demand as it tries to settle into a new normal during the lockdown.

The independent charity has experienced a high number of visitors due to the outbreak of the coronavirus as a surge in unemployment has left people and families without the means to put food on the table.

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Joyce Leggate, chairman, said: “We want to thank everyone who has supported us during these uncertain times. There has been so much support from the people of Kirkcaldy and beyond with donations of food, money and time to help us through this pandemic.

“Without our distribution points at the Linton Lane Centre, Solid Rock and New Volunteer House we really wouldn’t have managed to continue operations in the town.

“From volunteers cooking meals at Linton Lane Centre to Fife Council staff who have been re-deployed to ensure that our distribution point at New Volunteer House remains open, we can’t thank them enough.

“We would also like to thank all of our volunteers, and all the local companies who have pulled out all of the stops to ensure that some of the most vulnerable people in Kirkcaldy are not forgotten about. We also want to thank all of the people who live next to our hub at Viewforth Church for their patience as it has been quite busy with all the deliveries.”

Compared to April 2019, in April 2020 there has been a 33 percent increase in the number of visits to the foodbank.

Increase in demand for parcels with couples and families has led to a significant increase in the number of meals provided. In January and February the foodbank provided an average of 19,500 meals per month. In April that figure rose over 33,000 meals – a 70 percent increase.

And, despite great support, the foodbank is still struggling to meet demand.

Added Joyce: “All the help has been brilliant, but we still need more donations of food and money.

“Some of our distribution points have completely ran out of food, and we are running desperately low on toiletries.

“The need for support is endless and it is increasing as time goes on. There are more and more people coming to us for help every week - people are really struggling and are desperate to get back to work so they don’t have to come to us for help.

“For some people visiting us for the first time can be daunting so we try to make their journey as stress free as possible.

“This is going to be our situation for months to come. The help we have had has been humbling and people have gone above and beyond to support us, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. We need more support to continue to help people in the community.”

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