A kind-hearted Montrose businesswoman and her three daughters are preparing and delivering Christmas dinner for the elderly and lonely in their community on December 25.
For a second year, Danielle Ormond, director of Unicorn Cleaning Services, and her daughters Elsie, 3, Lola, 9, and Yvie, 11, are reaching out to 22 local people who would otherwise spend Christmas Day alone.
The family smashed their original £350 fundraising target in November and the total amount raised now stands at £725.
Danielle, 39, loves to cook and last Christmas she ran a soup kitchen from her Montrose shop.
This year, she and her girls will prepare leek and potato soup, a full turkey dinner with gravy and bread sauce as well as mini desserts: Christmas pudding, cheesecake and a mince pie.
Then they will head out to deliver the meals between noon and 2pm, with everyone allocated a time slot.
Making a difference
Danielle said: “I am a single parent. The girls’ dad and I were together for 14 years and we split up just before Covid.
“So, last Christmas was the first the girls had been on their own. I really wanted to do something that was going to make a difference to them. I was just trying to keep their mind off the fact he wouldn’t be here.
“We ran a soup kitchen for about 20 people, but it was difficult because we were so restricted and were about to go back into lockdown.
“I felt the girls didn’t get the full effect of what they were trying to achieve so I sat down and spoke to them again this year and told them I was thinking of doing a dinner for people.”
Danielle said a lot of customers who come to her laundry shop are older people who live alone and many don’t have family close by.
She went on: “So I thought ‘let’s help people who would like a meal – and we’ll bring it to them.’
“Covid has been so hard for everyone, it’s really important to reach out and do what we can to help. We like to give back to a community who has supported us.”
Danielle has received donations of microwavable containers from Hillside Hotel in Montrose. This means people can reheat their meals if required once they have been delivered.
‘The girls are really excited’
She said her daughters can’t wait to help out in their community on Christmas Day.
She explained: “The girls are really excited about doing it. We are also planning on having them pull a cracker at the door with everyone as that’s something someone on their own would miss out on.
“My kids take it for granted that because I can cook they have beef and chicken and gammon for Sunday dinner most weeks – but lots of kids don’t have that. The older two have started to realise that.”
She added: “Their school, Ferryden Primary, got in touch as the teachers normally put money together and donate to a charity instead of giving presents and cards.
“Because the girls have told them about what we’re doing, this year they donated to us.”
After food costs have been deducted, Danielle intends to donate the remainder of the cash raised to good causes. These include funding a defibrillator for a local sports team.