An emergency fund set up by Wheatley Group has helped more than 2000 vulnerable households in Scotland.
The help has gone to 2087 people and families suffering financial hardship, who may be ill or self-isolating.
There has been a range of support from fuel top ups, cookers, activity packs for children, mobile phone top-ups, baby milk and nappies, as well as pet food.
Irene Brown, 63, from Hyvot Park, received a new cooker through the Fund.
She said: “My old cooker only had two rings so was no use. I was speaking to my housing officer and mentioned it and within a few days a new cooker arrived.
“It’s brilliant.
“I’m shielding because I have underlying health conditions and this has made life easier for me.
“My two dogs – Charlie Brown, a Jack Russell, and Peanut Butter, a Jackahuahua – love it.
“I cook them mince sometimes for their dinner and they’ve been enjoying that. It’s made life easier for them too.
“I’m really grateful for the help.”
Wheatley’s Emergency Response Fund is available to customers of GHA, Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership, Dunedin Canmore, Cube, Loretto Housing, West Lothian Housing Partnership, Wheatley Care, YourPlace and Lowther Homes.
Jean Fyfe, Wheatley Foundation Board member, added: “Many of our vulnerable customers have no one else to turn to for support, so our Emergency Response Fund is a real lifeline.
“The one-off payments from the Fund are making a big difference to people and families who are struggling because they are ill or self-isolating or don’t have other means of support.
“We will continue to do everything we can to help vulnerable customers during this crisis.”
The Emergency Response Fund is one of a range of measures introduced by Scotland’s leading housing, care and property management group to help customers combat the coronavirus crisis.
The Group’s EatWell service, which provides emergency food parcels to families and individuals, has made well over 17,000 lifeline deliveries to customers from Dumfries and Galloway to Kirkcaldy and from Beith to Dumbarton and Glasgow to Edinburgh.
Earlier this month Wheatley pledged an extra 100 homes to Housing First, a partnership set up to tackle rough sleeping. Wheatley has also handed over more than 200 homes to local authorities to use as temporary accommodation for homeless people.
Wheatley has also committed to ‘flip’ 150 temporary furnished homes, turning them into permanent homes for the homeless people occupying them.
Last month, the Group also donated £100,000 to Social Bite’s food delivery service.
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