Glenrothes Church launches new community pantry to support vulnerable families

Based in St Luke The Evangelist’s Church in Warout, the Pantry aims to address the growing effects of food insecurity in the city.

The church had originally planned to provide a community cafe, but as more people than ever face difficulties, the decision was made to provide a pantry instead to try to stem the number of people who have. hungry as they choose between heating or eating.

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

“We also stressed the need for courses focused on culinary skills to ensure that 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 of Leslie Community Pantry stepped in bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge.”

Father Gerry said St Luke’s goal is to support the community, whatever issues it may face.

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

“In collaboration 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 that 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 split my time between the two towns and it worked out pretty well.

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