DRUMCHAPEL Foodbank has thanked Post readers for support keeping their shelves full through the summer and residents fed.

In July, the charity saw empty shelves until an appeal in the Post brought an overwhelming response and helped them keep Drumchapel fed throughout the summer.

On Monday this week, the shelves were again picked clean but two recent fundraising events helped ensure enough supplies to meet increasing demand this month caused by benefit sanctions.

The Beer Makes Glasgow event at the end of August at Glasgow School of Art raised £1,900 for the food bank.

And The Record Factory, in Byres Road, hosted Soup Worx Vol 2 with a day of soul music and food in aid of the food bank, raising £550.

That money allowed a massive shop to replenish supplies.

Liz Atkinson, manager of the foodbank, said since April they have helped 1,670 residents, some of them more than once.

She said: “It’s not getting easier. We seem to see a slight drop in June and July in sanctions but that’s picked up again. And we get an increase in families in summer and we give them extra fresh stuff for the kids.

“We got a massive response from the Post articles. We thank everyone for their response to – and remind them we are a service all year round, five days a week.

“We are working with local agencies so people are getting the best service they can.”

The foodbank focuses on the calories and nutrition needed by adults and children in a typical week so their poverty is not made worse by limited food choices.

Liz said public donations have been particularly helpful on that front this summer with contributions of fresh food.

Last week, Glasgow City Council vowed to “stop” child hunger and expand free meals. The SNP administration said food poverty would be a priority.

Universal free meals will be introduced in every community during all main school holidays, not just summer, and a second phase will look at expanding free school meals during term time to all pupils, not just P1 to P3.

Drumchapel Foodbank said nobody from the council had spoken to them about plans.

Liz said offering free meals doesn’t ultimately address the desire of families to feed their children themselves.

She said: “Give families more money to enable them to feed their kids. I wish the council would speak to us.

“We prefer to give parents the food so parents can feed their kids.

Councillor Paul Carey said: “We should extend free meals as a matter of urgency - it’s the only way to ensure every child gets a hot meal every day.

“We need to do it and do it now. The foodbank can only rely on good will so we need to extend free meals or fund the foodbanks.”

Drumchapel Food Bank is in need of feminine hygiene products at the moment and donations can be dropped at Unit 9, 15 Ladyloan Place, G15 8LB between 9am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.