BEAR Scotland has donated £1,000 to Shotts-based charity Paul’s Parcels, a small independent charity that provides support to local villages in the surrounding area. Paul’s Parcels’ mission is to help tackle food insecurity or poverty by providing families with fresh food on a weekly basis.
Paul’s Parcels helps those in need on a referral basis with parcels that contain fresh produce, dairy, canned and dry goods as well as cleaning and toiletry products. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays, the charity also provides food from its local store in Shotts, which is just south of a key section of the M8 motorway looked after by BEAR Scotland.
Paul’s Parcels is the sixth local cause to receive a £1,000 boost from BEAR Scotland in 2022 after employees nominated causes that were important to them. The charity will use the funding boost to provide lunches to children who don’t get free school meals, as many would be going without a meal until they got home in the evening. It is also introducing free cooking classes, to teach people how to make healthy, affordable meals rather rely on processed food.
Joanna Buggy, Engagement Manager, said: “The cost of living crisis is making it even harder for so many people and families who were already struggling to make ends meet. It is heart warming to hear the stories about how Paul’s Parcels is helping those who really need it not just immediately but through longer term initiatives like cooking classes.”
Tracey Duffy, Pauls Parcels Co-ordinator, said: “This £1,000 will go a long way to making a real difference. For instance, we’re turning our attention to working families, who are struggling with the cost of living crisis by helping with school lunches for those who don’t qualify for free lunches.
“We will also use part of the funding to offer people free cooking classes, building essential life skills for the future.”
To learn more about what Paul’s Parcels does, visit the website at https://paulsparcels.co.uk/
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