GATHERING THE FOOD
This has been an amazing Christmas at Somebody Cares Aberdeen. Record numbers of food bags were given out, record numbers of people received food and a record number of families received presents for their children.
Our deep desire that everyone in Aberdeen has a great Christmas comes nearer to reality with each year that goes by and we are thrilled at the way that communities across the city are catching the spirit of what we are trying to do with the Aberdeen the City that Cares Food Initiative.
More companies than ever before collected food for us and gave us money to buy more. More schools than ever before, more churches, more city organisations and other charities than ever before supported us as we set out to provide for everybody who needed help going into Christmas.
We brought in over 46 tons of food for our Christmas Appeal, we collected almost 15 tons of food from city supermarkets, very generous companies like Walkers Shortbread who gave us 10 pallets of shortbread, oil companies and many other Aberdeen firms, hotels, bars, housing associations and special collections organised by city schools, churches and organisations like the guides and scouts.
The people of Aberdeen have been extremely generous and many individuals and families brought food to us as well.
DISTRIBUTING THE FOOD
We gave out over 2200 food bags each with a retail value of around £40 (Approx $54)…unbelievable and only possible through the amazing and 
generous support we have received in the city, feeding over 7000 people this Christmas.
We linked up with city agencies, health centres. homeless sections and numerous other agencies to identify the people most needing help at Christmas, as well as the people we provide help to on an ongoing basis.
Over 400 food bags were given out at our food bank in Tillydrone and many food bags and presents were distributed at a packed out Christmas Carol Service that we had in Destiny Church.
Over 1000 Christmas presents were made up to give to the children of the regular families we provide for.
THE CHALLENGE AHEAD
Sadly, need is not just at Christmas time and Somebody Cares has given food to the city’s most needy people for over 12 years.
We have never seen such a requirement for help as we do now and this will continue to grow as people are impacted by low incomes, continually rising utility and food bills and ongoing changes to the benefits systems.
Somebody Cares will continue to be true to its name and provide for Aberdeen’s most deprived people on an ongoing basis. We have had to grow our food section hugely to cater for increased demand and have become Aberdeen’s biggest food provider by a substantial margin.
WE will continue to do this…BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP to sustain the provision to desperate families with hungry kids, starving pensioners and individuals who do not know where else to go for help.
Somebody Cares Chapters and Centers across the USA and around the world reach out on a daily basis to help those struggling to make ends meet. You can help with a gift today!