The Salvation Army is a Christian church and charity, and from our very beginnings we have tried to step up and take action in any crisis. It has long been in our core values to roll up our sleeves and serve suffering humanity. The COVID-19 crisis is no different. Around the country, and indeed around the world, The Salvation Army has reacted to the needs presented in their local communities as a result of this pandemic. 

Stornoway Corps of The Salvation Army has also swung immediately into action, changing our usual routine to meet the current need. As ‘lockdown’ was announced on the Monday, we opened the citadel on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday to respond to the panic and the need of many families for food when, to begin with, shops were struggling to keep stock. We also used our Baby Bank service to support families with nappies and wipes which we had in stock, which was a great relief to many who couldn’t buy them due to lack of stock at the time. Our food and toiletries quickly began to run out as we developed a routine of opening to support every Wednesday and Saturday. As the demand grew, and it became apparent that the financial impact of the situation would have long term effects, we realised we needed to find another location in order to improve the support we were giving. 

The Golf Club very kindly made their premises available for us to use which enabled us to purchase  fresh fruit and vegetables, household cleaning products and wider stock items to increase the level of support we could offer. We also took in donations of books, DVDs, games and toys to provide things to keep people entertained while stuck at home.  We have continued to open every Wednesday and Saturday and taking the remaining two working days in between to regroup and restock. We give people the option of a box or bag when they come in and invite them to take enough to last them for the week so that they don’t have to keep travelling in. For many though, the opportunity to chat at a safe distance whilst collecting shopping has been an invaluable support in what is a very lonely situation. Strict hygiene and social distancing measures are in place but it doesn’t detract from the peaceful supporting environment that has been created. The use of the much bigger Golf Club premises has enabled these safety measures to be better in place and their staff have been an incredible support to us. The Baby Bank has also moved across to the Golf Club making use of an upstairs room which can be accessed without passing through the main hall which keeps contact with others at a minimum for vulnerable and/or pregnant mothers. 

The scale of the project has increased and so has the number of people being reached. As we open for three hours between 11am and 2pm a steady flow of people come and collect some provisions. We have had over 50 people visiting at each session. As one person is usually representing a household of more people benefitting from the provisions, and others are collecting on behalf of neighbours too, we estimate there to be over 300 people per week that are benefitting from this project. It has been a project that has required a lot of work and effort, but it has been very well received. Seeing people leave with some peace and a smile on their face when they arrived with some anxiety makes it all worth it. We have also been able to work closely with the Foodbank and Citizens Advice Bureau in order to support each other as we all try to meet people’s needs in our own unique ways. 

We are very grateful for the donations and other support that people have given us to make this project the success it has been, and while the need remains high we intend to continue to provide as much help as we can.

Lt. Callum Newton, Commanding Officer, The Salvation Army Stornoway Corps.