Gillian Marley-Milligan, who works at the Next store at Gretna Gateway, wants to help those less fortunate by gathering urgent supplies for the local food bank and the Salvation Army.
She is running a collection which has already attracted a great response from locals, who have been handing in food and toiletries.
It’s not the first time Gillian has spread some festive cheer: last year she organised a successful coat campaign after seeing similar appeals all over Scotland.
And now, aware of the austerity and stress of the current pandemic, she wants to reach out to people and their families who are having to rely on food banks for every day essentials.
She said: “Now more than ever before, and especially at Christmas time, we need to extend our love and donations to the local Food Bank and The Salvation Army.
“Locally, we have not been exempt from the current pandemic and more and more families are finding themselves struggling to buy food.
“The appeal welcomes all kinds of food stocks, particularly pasta and tin foods, as well as personal hygiene products. Anything that goes some way to show local people that they are not alone and we all deserve to have a nice Christmas time, even under the current world situation.”
She is happy to pick up donations from people or they can drop them off at the at the Royal Bank of Scotland, High Street in Dumfries or the Next store at Gretna Gateway.
