A food scheme launched last autumn on the Ysgubor Goch estate in Caernarfon is going from strength to strength.
'Fare Share' is a UK-wide project that re-distributes the surplus food from supermarkets among community projects that support vulnerable people.
Every Friday and Saturday evening volunteers from the Caernarfon Food Scheme go down to their local branch of Tesco to collect the surplus food.
This week, Arfon Assembly Member Sian Gwenllian made the collection, and joined the volunteers the following morning as they gave out the bread, vegetables and salad.
"It has been a very interesting and informative experience spending time with the volunteers and the people who use the scheme," said Siân Gwenllian. "The partnership between the volunteers and Tesco Caernarfon is very efficient - one of the volunteers receives a text message on the Friday or Saturday evening with details of what is available. They then answer to confirm that they will take it, and then go down to Tesco where a member of staff brings the food out in crates.
"It’s so hard these days for some families to make ends meet. Some of the people who use the scheme, many of whom are in work but are still finding it difficult to afford enough food for their families."
A regular user of the scheme since it launched last year is Yvette from Caernarfon.
"Even though I'm in work I still find it hard to make ends meet and I know lots of people in the same situation", she said.
"I've got six children and the weekly shop never goes quite far enough. I come to the Food Share because I can get some bread and bits and bobs here that is enough to tide me over until the next pay cheque. It's embarrassing having to admit you can't quite cope, and I know people feel ashamed coming here, but it's been a lifeline, it really has. And it's nice to have a chat with the volunteers on a Saturday morning."
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