CHARITY APPEAL . . . Food Train volunteers, left to right, Matt Murray, Roberta Macmillan, Gordon Richardson and Sandy Sloan are appealing for people to support the charity’s crowdfunding appeal for new delivery boxes
The Food Train hopes to raise £500 through fundraising website Indiegogo to purchase new shopping boxes to help with deliveries of vital fresh groceries to elderly people across the region.
Encouraging people to assist the ‘sponsor a box’ project, which starts on Tuesday, Sandy Sloan, of the charity, said: “It’s a tough life being a Food Train delivery box. Carrying shopping from the supermarket into the vans, out of the van to our customer houses, back into the vans and back to the supermarket.
“Repeat this three times a week and it’s no wonder our boxes are beginning to show signs of wear no matter how careful our volunteers try to be.”
He added: “With demand for Food Train services increasing significantly we require more boxes. By donating you will be helping ensure that older people across Scotland this Christmas eat well, live well and age well.”
Over 900 volunteers and a team of 32 staff now work with the charity across seven local authorities in Scotland.
And a £10 donation will provide the charity with a shiny new delivery box, complete
with the donor’s name on the side for a year.
The Food Train’s longest serving member Mrs Wilkinson, who signed up for the service 18 years ago, said: “I think Food Train is a wonderful thing and I don’t know what I would do without it.
“It was different when I could get out but I can’t now. It’s just marvellous and you can get a wee blether with the volunteers, who I cannot praise highly enough.”
Anyone wishing to sponsor a box can search for Food Train at www.indiegogo.com, call
head office on 01387 270800 or call into the premises at 30 Castle Street in Dumfries.
