A new community service hoping to tackle food poverty in Dundee is appealing for furniture donations for its new premises before the opening.
Food for Thought plans to open the Lochee Community Larder by mid-July, allowing people to fill their shopping bags for a £2 subscription per week.
Unlike a food bank, no referrals will be needed and anyone is welcome to use the service, regardless of their circumstances.
A similar service already exists in Charleston, with demand so high the founder, Samantha Bruce, is looking to expand to Lochee.
Samantha, a 35-year-old mother-of-four, said: “We have managed to secure funding and are waiting to sign a lease for unit five in Whorterbank.
“We were meant to be open by mid-June but there have been a few delays and mid-July is looking more likely now.
“I want it to be a welcoming place with a social area in it, so I’m looking for tables and chairs, shelving units, potted plants and anything else people can think of that would make the area cosy.”
Other items needed are fridge freezers, paint and cash donations for general use funds.
Samantha explained she started the Food for Thought initiative after seeing how many families struggle in the city.
She added: “Years ago I used to run a play group and I heard so many stories of parents struggling despite working.
“Ireland and England had similar initiatives to the community larder but there was nothing like that here so I thought I would start the project here.
“It’s different to a foodbank because you don’t need a referral, it doesn’t matter what income you’re on and you can get fresh food like meat and vegetables as well as canned goods.
“We buy the food from a charity called FareShare, who buy up supermarket surplus food to prevent waste.
“You pay £2 per week and you can fill a shopping bag with what you need.
“In Charleston we have more than 100 members, it’s been very successful and the demand is there.”
To contact Samantha about donations, call 07368461420.
