Helensburgh food bank's plea for summer holiday donations

The food bank is providing meals for children who would otherwise find it hard to get access to a nutritious meal during the school summer holidays.

The programme follows a successful pilot during the two-week Easter break in April, when the food bank provided more than 500 lunches to school age children throughout the Helensburgh and Lomond area.

Donations of the following items are particularly needed:

Custard pots

Rice pots

Jelly pots

Tins of cold meat eg ham, chicken, spam

Tins of stewed steak

Small tins of mixed veg

Tins of tuna

Tins of mild chicken curry

Flavoured packets of rice

Super Noodles

Packets of Pasta n’ Sauce

Tins of spaghetti bolognese

Tinned hot dogs (not jars)

Small tins baked beans

Small tins spaghetti hoops

Small tins macaroni & cheese

Tins of sardines

Tins of meatballs

In a statement posted on Facebook, the food bank's volunteers said: "Feedback [from the Easter pilot] was all very positive, confirming the need for such an essential meal provision to help alleviate food insecurity.

"All donations are very much appreciated, however large or small. Collection can be arranged if necessary."

The programme is running for five weeks during the school summer holidays.

Donations of food can be put into the dedicated boxes at the Waitrose and Co-operative Food supermarkets in Helensburgh, or at your local church.

You can also drop in donations at the Red Cross Hall in East King Street, where the food bank is based, at the following times: Monday 10am-12noon, Thursday 6-8pm, Friday 10am-12noon.

In addition, donations can be handed in at the Howie Pavilion, at the Howie Park in Rosneath, during the food bank's weekly visit to the Peninsula on Wednesdays from 1pm to 3pm.

More details are available at

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