A COMMUNITY hero has turned the takeaway destined for the tip into a treat for those queuing at the foodbank.
Keisha Pierre, manager at Dennistoun's Everlasting Foodbank, has been giving people of the East End a treat in a bid to boost the morale of those using the service.
The charity has teamed up with KFC's London Road and Forge Retail Park eateries to deliver the weekly treats.
Keisha said: “KFC’s support has had a huge impact on the Everlasting Foodbank. The local people we support love having KFC on offer - they eat what they can on-site and bring a little bag and fill that as well.
"We collect the chicken every week from the teams at KFC restaurants on London Road and in Forge Retail Park – it’s great for us and is easy to arrange as everything is ready for us when we arrive.
"Then, during our opening hours on Saturday, we offer people hot meals to enjoy whilst they collect their food parcels to take home, including hot soup, bread, cakes and hot chicken too."
The Everlasting Foodbank supports people on low incomes and the homeless, providing those facing food insecurity with donations to take home, and the chance to enjoy a hot meal at its community kitchen.
Keisha and the team collect surplus chicken from KFC each Friday via the FareShare Go app, enabling them to support local people facing hunger at a time when they need it most.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact communities across the UK, more food banks are seeing an increase in people coming to their doors.
Recent research from FareShare revealed that 96% of charities claimed to have been directly affected by the cost-of-living crisis and 73% reported new recipients accessing their services for the first time.
Keisha and the team of volunteers at Everlasting Foodbank have seen first-hand the impact rising costs have had on the community, with demand for food donations at the charity increasing massively in the wake of the Covid pandemic, with the number of people visiting each week increasing from around 40 to 100 in the last year.
Steven Meechan, Glasgow area coach at KFC, said: “We always look for ways to support our local communities with the issues that matter most. Hearing the impact that local heroes like Keisha are having in and around Glasgow just spurs us on to better support them in their incredible work.
"What’s more, our team members at London Road and Forge Retail Park really value seeing our surplus chicken go to such a good home.
"As the cost of living continues to rise, it is important that we ensure any surplus food finds its way to those who need it most.”
The FareShare partnership is up and running across all KFC restaurants in Glasgow, with more than 7000 meals donated in Scotland since the roll-out of the programme in the region.
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