Charities providing vital food to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic are appealing for shoppers to support a supermarket food collection initiative this Christmas.
From November 19-21, charities FareShare and the Trussell Trust will be collecting food donations as part of the Tesco Food Collection initiative.
FareShare is looking for people to volunteer at donation points in store, while the Trussell Trust is seeking social media volunteers to share shopping lists on its platforms to encourage people to give generously.
South West area manager at the trust, Emma Greenwood, said: “A crisis can often bring out the best in people, and we have been overwhelmed by the support the UK has shown towards food banks in light of the coronavirus outbreak. As we look to one of the busiest times of the year for food banks in our network, we would be so grateful if people can share shopping lists of their local food bank’s most-needed items on their social media to encourage friends and family to donate. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that food banks are able to help people in crisis this winter.”
During the collection, people are encouraged to donate long-life food to help the community groups support those in need this Christmas. Tesco will top-up customer donations by 20 per cent to aid the two charities’ work.
Last year, three million meals were collected as part of the initiative and since its launch in 2012, more than 76 million meals have been donated to the two charities by customers across the UK.
FareShare fundraising and communications manager for the South West, Phoebe Ruxton, said: “We know many people have already fallen victim to the economic impact of the pandemic and thousands more are at risk of losing their jobs and livelihoods. We have seen a huge increase in people turning to their grassroots community groups for support and demand for food is more than double pre-pandemic levels.
“We would be hugely grateful to anyone who is able to volunteer this year to encourage more shoppers to give needed food to those who need it most.”
Volunteers are needed to encourage shoppers to leave their donations in the collection point at the front of Tesco stores.
To take part, log on to fareshare.org.uk/foodcollection
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here