Throughout the first Covid-19 locked, ACD adapted quickly to respond to the looming crisis that was faced by vital services across Dundee.
Moving into 2021, it is now clear that the need for those services in still in the same high demand. ACD is proud to work closely Faith in Community and Dundee City Council to service the Food Insecurity Network, ensuring over £10k worth of food each week is delivered to the 27 projects each week.
The network was established by Faith in Community and DVVA in early 2020, with Dundee City Council initially securing enough food for 10 weeks. This food is stored on mass then delivered out to the 27 projects. The projects within the network had fed over 4500 people, during the toughest restrictions in 2020. Over the previous weeks, the numbers have thankfully fallen to around 2200 each week however
we are unfortunately predicting a rise.
That initial 10 weeks of support, was stretched and stretched and we are now almost approaching the 1 year mark. Each and every week, our team of staff and volunteers at ACD have taken delivering of food, household essentials, toiletries and pet food. The teams have then sorted and delivered the correct quantities out to the 27 projects, on their preferred deliver dates. This has helped to ensure that stock supplies are kept flowing and freeing up the vital time of those staff and volunteers running the projects.
We have also helped to move stock from project to project, helping to reduce excess food waste within the network. This services has ensured that the projects can focus all their resources on support their client group.
The work has not come around by chance, pairing the years of commercial business experience with the ability to draw upon resources, has helped Alexander Community Development, a relatively new community organisation, to step up to the mark.
Kara Swankie, Operations Manager, Alexander Community Development – ‘We’ve worked closely with Peter (DCC) and Jacky (Faith in Community) to ensure that ACD is continuing to meet the changing demand. Operating in another lockdown, with further austerity on the horizon, we are prepared for the increased pressure on these projects. Our team have stepped up to the mark time and time again and I am confident that we will be able to serve the projects moving into these worrying times. There are multiple projects within the city, which work on a non-referral/referral basis, helping to ensure no one goes hungry in 2021’.
Jacky Close, Director, Faith in Community - ‘ACD are critical to Dundee’s response to COVID. While we had many projects delivering face-to-face support to individuals and families, there was a serious gap in relation to the overall practical co-ordination of food distribution to the 24+ projects.
Alexander Community Development showed real leadership and commitment by stepping forward to offer a thoughtful, flexible and professional service. They developed processes and relationships at break-neck speed and have become an indispensable part of our emergency food arrangements.
As we negotiate our way towards recovery and long-term solutions to food poverty in our city, they still have a unique contribution to make.
We cannot emphasise enough the critical role they play, without them we would not be able to offer the city-wide support to people who have been impacted financially by the pandemic: those who have lost jobs, are on furlough pay, are home more and struggling with the increased costs of
bills, who are waiting for Universal Credit to start’
Alexander Community Development
Alexander Community Development has developed from 20 years of work in the decorating trade, both in practise and education. The sister company of ACD, Alexander Decorators LTD has lead the way in developing skill and talent in the trade, and this work will now be built upon in ACD. Within in this live working environment, there will be programmes delivered for children and young people who are looking to gain qualifications and skills that will gain them future employment opportunities.
