Words by Smiley Team
A zero-waste food store in Scotland has joined forces with other independents to feed Ukrainian families who are settling in a new country.
Grain & Sustain is part of the collaboration that have fed 48 families who have been affected by the war so far. Their aim is to feed at least 100 families in total and then continue on from there as far as they can.
Now, they have joined forces with other independent food and drink companies for an online raffle to raise funds for the DEC Ukraine Appeal.
"As a mum of three, I can’t imagine the strain and horror that these families will have faced. With many men staying back in Ukraine to fight, a large number of those fleeing are women and children," says Louise Humpington of Grain & Sustain.
“So not only are they leaving their homes, their country and everything that is familiar to them, they will be doing so without a critical part of their family support structure and without their community around them.”
[Find ways you can help support the people of Ukraine]
The raffle has 33 prizes worth over £2,000, all of which have been donated by independent businesses, and all funds raised will go towards feeding families and the DEC Ukraine Appeal.
Louise also hopes the appeal will raise some awareness for the impact that the conflict is having on access to food and other resources.
“Not only does this initiative aim to raise much needed funds to support Ukrainian families who have sought safety in Scotland, it has also shone a spotlight on the fragility of many supply chains," she says.
“At Grain & Sustain the provenance of our products is integral to our ethical sourcing policies. What crisis situations like this show is the environmental and human rights impacts of global commodity markets.”
The raffle was the idea of Chocolatier Sebastian Kobelt, who rallied support from fellow independent food and drink producers and restaurants from across Scotland. Tickets for the raffle are £10 and all donations will be used to provide food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection.
“It’s impossible just to sit back and watch the war unfolding and do nothing. I have my own family and it’s heartbreaking to watch so many families being separated without knowing whether they will ever see each other again," says Sebastian.
“The raffle will go a little way to show that Scotland’s food and drink community stands firmly with the people of Ukraine, and hopefully we can go some way to raise much-needed funds for people who are fleeing the war.”
BUY A TICKET: You can buy a ticket to be entered into the raffle.
SUPPORT: Smiley News has compiled a list of the ways in which you can support Ukraine.
