Churches move to feed hungry local children who live in poverty
Laura Banks – carrying a torch for children whose parents are too poor to feed them.
February 7, 2018 – Hungry weans? Those of you who thought they were a thing of the past should think again.
We don’t need to go back to the novels of Charles Dickens to find heart-breaking cases of children with no money and nothing to eat.
Or of children living with alcoholic or drug addicted parents or poor people who are simply unable to find work or are too ill to take up employment.
That’s why Laura Banks, a member of the Parish Pastoral Council at St Patrick’s Church in Strathleven Place, Dumbarton, wants to discuss with interested others how to help children living in poverty locally.
Laura said: “There are children in Dumbarton who spend weekends and holidays hungry. I have been asked to set up a group who could meet to discuss ways we could help these children and their families. The idea is we would come up with a plan and then try to gain funding to support us. I am not looking for hours and hours of commitment, but if this is something that you think you would like to be involved in can you let me know (PM me or leave a comment on Facebook) and I will invite you to the kick off meeting (which as yet has no date!).
The Rev Kenneth Macaulay, of St Augustine’s Episcopal Church in the High Street and St Mungo’s in the Vale, says Food for Thought would like to be involved in preliminary discussions. Caroline Marsland and the Rev Liz O’Ryan have been nominated to carry things forward. Business people are also taking an interest in the proposal.
Julie Robertson asked: “Is there something I could do through my business? Donate household products for example?”
Laura Banks replied: “That potentially could be possible. We are at the very early stages at the moment so will let you know if we think it would work as part of this.”
People with ideas about how something could be done to help these poor children are asked to contact Laura through her Facebook website.
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