Local food banks near me: How to support local food banks in Edinburgh at Christmas

Christmas is a time for giving – support those who need it most in Edinburgh by donating to local food banks.

Over 80,000 people live below the poverty line in Edinburgh, including one in four children in the capital.

The Edinburgh Poverty Commission classes this as a household income of £21,100 per annum for a couple with two children in Scotland.

If a household has less than that, they will struggle to pay for essentials like heating, food, clothes, and other vital things.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to give something back to your community. Photo: SDI Productions / Getty Images Signature / Canva Pro.

Almost anyone can experience poverty at some point in their lives, and things have been harder than ever for many during the pandemic, with loss of jobs and people of all ages spending more time at home.

This Christmas, you can help to support the most vulnerable people in Edinburgh by donating to local food banks near you.

Here’s where to find them and how to get involved.

It's best to check in advance if there area any specific items that your local food bank is requesting. Photo: SDI Productions / Getty Images Signature / Canva Pro.

Local food banks near me in Edinburgh

There are plenty of food banks to choose from in Edinburgh, so you can pick one that’s convenient and local to you.

Here’s a full list of food banks across the capital:

- Edinburgh Food Project, with eight locations in Edinburgh: Craigmillar, Pilton, South Queensferry, Clermiston, Prestonfield, Grassmarket, and Broughton.

- The Trussel Trust Food Bank, 47 Southhouse Broadway, EH17 8AS

- Edinburgh North East Foodbank, 19 Stewartfield, EH6 5RQ

- Edinburgh City Mission, 41 Bryson Road, EH11 1DS

- Community One Stop Shop, 3 Broomhouse Market, EH11 3UU

How to support local food banks in Edinburgh this Christmas

Once you’ve found a food bank near you, there are a number of ways to support them.

You can donate food or money to help food banks to get necessary supplies where they need to go.

You can find a link to donate money on most food bank websites.

For donating food, you can either head down in person or some food banks offer collection services.

You should check the website and instructions for the specific food bank that you want to donate for, to find out their opening hours and how they prefer to receive donations.

If you want to go on step further, you can also volunteer your time to help collect and distribute the food and help the food bank keep running.

What’s more, keep an eye out for big food bins by the checkout area in supermarkets.

Many supermarkets partner up with food banks, so that you can buy something to donate during your usual shop.

When donating food, remember to choose items that will last.

Ideal foods might include:

- Canned soup

- Canned fruit

- Canned vegetables

- Canned stew

- Canned fish

- Canned beans

- Pasta (most prefer whole grain)

- Rice (most prefer brown rice)

Once again, check the website or speak to someone from your local food bank to see if there are any specific items that they are looking for.

For example, some food banks also accept items other than food, including sanitary products and so on.