Iain Ferguson
A resilient bunch
However you were affected by the Covid -19 lockdown, many groups of volunteers, as well as official bodies including The Highland Council, made sure vital food and medical supplies reached the people who needed them. Several businesses also helped by supplying foodstuffs of all kinds, free of charge, so that parcels could be made up and delivered without interruption. While the situation was serious, especially for those who were vulnerable and shielding due to other illnesses, it was not without a few laughs for those volunteering to undertake this crucial work. One thing in particular leading to a bit of hilarity were sudden and unexpected excesses of certain foodstuffs. Due to Covid restrictions, supermarket donors themselves often didn’t know what was going to arrive from their distribution depots. This led to a vast influx of jars of pickled beetroot, which
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suddenly appeared widely in the food packages. As lockdown hit just around Easter, parcels also featured chocolate bunnies and eggs, all perfectly edible and in date, but a bit out of season. There was also a pasta mountain to be handed out - luckily pasta featured in last month’s Lochaber Life recipe - and all kinds of fresh fruit. Flowers and plants also appeared in abundance. As someone commented: ‘Never were so many banana loafs baked in such a short time.’ Volunteer groups worked tirelessly making sure each community was kept supplied. However, when restrictions eased a little, Morrisons in Fort William organised a ‘thank you’ afternoon tea for them in their cafe, where they came together for a celebration and, of course, to discuss their work. Not delivering food, but equally important friendship
and contact, Ewen’s Room launched a new ‘EwenMe’ befriending service matching volunteers to people who would welcome a regular phone chat to combat loneliness and social isolation. The Ardnamurchan Peninsula based charity also continued its seven day a week free helpline service 08006 893317 and textline service on 07537 431637. The weekly Open Doors sessions, which were run in Strontian and Acharacle, also continued online via zoom meetings. A big thank you is due from all of us to the ‘resilience bunch’ who kept going for the good of others.
| october 2020
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11/09/2020 15:03:38
