A charity that is feeding families across Dundee is in with a chance of a £1,000 cash boost but it needs your help.
It’s one of four charities guaranteed £1,000 in our Tokens For Toys cash giveaway. But one will receive double that if you vote for it using vouchers found in The Courier until November 26.
Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia, Cupar’s Siblings Reunited and Kinross-based Broke Not Broken have also been nominated for a cash award in time for Christmas.
Dundee Bairns gives out around 3,000 meals every week to those most in need.
Genna Miller, project coordinator, said the charity provided 57,000 meals during the first lockdown of the pandemic.
“We were in the middle of delivering the first week of our Easter holiday provision,” she added.
“We were only supposed to do two weeks and that turned into 18 weeks of food delivery.”
Dundee Bairns, started by the former chief executive of Dundee City Council, in 2016, is part of the food security network in the city.
Dealing with the pandemic
In response to the pandemic, the charity also launched Cosy Bairns.
“Obviously with the ventilated classrooms, we needed to keep our kids warm,” Genna said.
“We delivered physical clothing packs for around 3,000 children and that was all the schools in Dundee.”
The project also offers grants to allow kids to take up after school clubs, such as gymnastics, that families may not be able to afford.
“The pandemic affected us quite badly,” Genna added.
“We had to change what we were doing really quickly. It was a very reactive time.
“We’d been meeting every week and some points it was just quite frantic, trying to get provisions out to places that needed it most.
“That food insecurity network has stayed too. We’ve still got our hands very much on the situation as it is now.
“Poverty hasn’t gone away. It’s a very difficult winter for a lot of people this year.
“We pride ourselves of being fleet of foot to responding to what is needed.”
Helping kids at Christmas
The money from Token for Toys this year will go towards making sure Dundee’s families will have gifts and meals this Christmas.
“This is our busiest time of year,” Genna explained.
“We’ve linked up with Dundee Contemporary Arts which will provide art packs, which will go out alongside food vouchers or hampers for families.”
Genna said the additional £1,000 would help them continue to provide for Dundee’s children.
“£1,000 would help us to deliver the tea clubs we’re running just now,” she said.
“We’ve got after school tea clubs at five different schools across Dundee. These target some of the most vulnerable children and their families and help give them a hot meal after school in the winter months.
“It would help us to fund our cosy bairns project, which delivers clothing to those who need that extra support in the winter.
“It would help us cover our Christmas food vouchers as well.”