Glenrothes Church launches new community pantry to support vulnerable families

Based in St Luke The Evangelist Church in Warout, the pantry aims to tackle the growing effects of food insecurity in the town.

The church originally planned to provide a community cafe, but as more people face hardship the decision was made to provide a pantry instead to try and stem the number of people suffering hunger as they chose between heating or eating.

Father Gerry Dillon said: “After consulting with people in the community, we have decided that it would be more practical to provide a food pantry rather than a cafe, as there are more people than ever facing the food poverty.

“We have also highlighted the need for courses focused on cooking skills to ensure people are able to create nutritious meals for themselves and their families.

“With funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, we were able to hire a part-time Community Pantry Officer, and luckily for us, Gayle Wilson from Leslie Community Pantry took on the role bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge. .”

Fr Gerry said St Luke’s aim is to support the community no matter what issues they may be facing.

“We not only help with food poverty, but also with emotional and mental well-being as well as spiritual support,” he said.

“Together with various partners, we are planning several mental health events that will encourage people to take a break and take care of themselves.”

Gayle joined the team to help launch the pantry.

She said: ‘When I saw St Luke was looking for help I jumped at the chance to help.

“Father Gerry had seen what we were doing in Leslie and wanted to bring something similar to Glenrothes – I’ve split my time between the two towns and it’s worked out pretty well.

“We have worked alongside schools and other organizations in the community to identify some of the most vulnerable people, as this year the number of people in need of help has increased dramatically.”