Lanarkshire charities tell of increased demand during cost of living crisis

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Charities in Airdrie and Shotts which support residents by helping provide items including food, clothing and household items have told of the increasing demand for their services as the cost of living crisis continues.Food organisations in both towns are seeing a rise in the number of people requiring their help; with both Airdrie foodbank and Shotts based Paul’s Parcels reporting growing need for their help, in line with wider nationwide trends which have seen nearly 90 per cent of Independent Food Aid Network members report increased demand during the past six months.

Both local groups, along with Airdrie community school uniform bank and good cause Diamonds in the Community, have teamed up with constituency MP Anum Qaisar for an advent calendar appeal running throughout this month to spread some early festive cheer.

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 Speaking at the launch of the collection drive, representatives of Airdrie foodbank told how their “biggest concern at this moment is demand”, adding: “We’re going to see it really shoot up over the next month as temperatures drop and energy bills go up”.The organisation added: “Christmas this year is going to look slightly different as people will be in survival mode, and there are a lot of kids out there who don’t get what other kids get – they