East Kilbride food banks face spiralling demand over festive period as thousands fed

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Food banks in East Kilbride faced more demand than ever over the Christmas period as the cost of living crisis hit struggling families hard.East Kilbride Community Food Bank, which is made up of a partnership of local churches, distributed 618 regular food parcels up to December 27, helping 457 households - made up of 630 adults and 203 children.The shocking figure is a 17 per cent increase on the same period last year - 92 more parcels than December 2021.

The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android And their annual Christmas Hamper appeal - to make sure families had everything they needed for Christmas day dinner - saw 319 hampers distributed to families in the area.It was an increase from 278 hampers last year and fed 559 adults and 289 children.As well as a whole host of edible goodies, the hampers also provided a new gift for every child in each family.Worryingly, the number of people registering with EK community Food Book has also risen by nearly a third over the last year.And many who would have never contemplated seeking help from a food bank previously are being left with little choice.Community care worker at Calderwood Baptist Church, Karen Dornan, told Lanarkshire Live: "We are seeing an increase in the number of working families registering with us, their wages are just not enough to stretch to