A Perthshire woman – who once had to rely on food handouts – has now become a charity donor herself, having delivered slow cookers to Perth Foodbank.
Linda Millar of Blairgowrie is raising funds for the appliances and has so far donated 40, with dozens more still to be dropped off.
Linda got the idea through her interactions on social media with Adrian Heald, who works as an NHS specialist. He campaigns to draw attention to the issue of food poverty.
“There is a chap on Twitter, Adrian Heald, who gave me the idea to give slow cookers”, she said.
“I receive donations for the cookers and I get them wherever I can get them the cheapest.”
Linda has first-hand experience of living below the poverty line, and says her fundraising is a way of giving back.
She believes the coronavirus pandemic has made life difficult even for people with a regular income.
She said: “I know what it’s like to suffer from food and fuel poverty.
“This is like a giving back thing.
“I think 2020 has been one of those years where even people who are working are struggling.”
She added: “The cost of using a slow cooker also costs less by the time you’ve boiled a pot.”
Eleanor Kelleher of Perth Foodbank was on-hand to receive the slow cookers on Wednesday.
She expressed huge gratitude to Linda for her fundraising efforts, and says the slow cookers will be distributed among local foodbank users who lack means of cooking.
She said: “We will distribute them to people who come in and maybe don’t have a cooker.
“We are also sharing some of them with the charity Starter Packs, which helps disadvantaged people when they move into a new house.”
Linda has also donated a range of recipe books alongside the cookers to help generate meal ideas among recipients.
However, this is not the first time Linda has undertaken a charitable venture.
She previously raised money for The Biscuit Fund – that aims to tackle food and fuel poverty – and last month shaved her hair for cancer charities.
Linda is now looking forward to the positives in her life, and will begin a new job at Blairgowrie dog food company, Bella and Duke on Monday.
Linda’s fundraising can be followed on Twitter @DonateSlow and donations can be made on her JustGiving page.
