FAMILIES in Helensburgh and Lomond could benefit from a bit of extra community help this festive season.

Helensburgh and Lomond Foodbank have issued an appeal for donations ahead of what is a busy period for giving.

Items they are looking for are:

  • tinned meats
  • tins of vegetables
  • tins of fruit cocktail
  • Christmas puddings
  • tins of custard
  • tinned fish
  • tinned baked beans
  • pasta and jars of pasta cooking sauces
  • 1 litre bottles of oil
  • jars of coffee
  • tea bags (each containing foil bags of 40)
  • boxes of breakfast cereals
  • tubs of gravy granules and stuffing mix
  • UHT long-life milk
  • Christmas sweets and chocolate treats
  • Christmas biscuits, cake, mincemeat pies
  • seasonal savoury snacks
  • small bottles diluting juice

The food bank cannot accept fresh food, opened items or anything out of date.

Donations have already been flowing to the group's important work from across the area, with a new drop box in Helensburgh's Costa. This is in addition to the normal points at the Co-op in Sinclair Street, the Co-op in Rosneath, the Co-op in Cardross, and the Morrisons Local in West Princes Street.

The two main hubs are St Modan's Church on Wednesdays, 1pm to 3pm and Helensburgh Community Hub on Monday from 10am to 12noon and Thursday, 3pm to 7pm.

Morrisons in Helensburgh also has packs on the way into the shop that can be paid for at the till and then placed in dedicated donation stations.