Tesco customers in Aberdeen have donated enough food to provide nearly 40,000 meals to struggling families amid a “tsunami of need”.
Despite the harsh grip of the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers have stepped up to help those most vulnerable in their communities by supporting local foodbanks.
The total amount of food donated by customers during this year’s Tesco Food Collection was the equivalent of 12.5 million meals, 30,833 of which came from Aberdeen.
All of the donations have been given to the Trussell Trust and FareShare, which help foodbanks and other charities provide emergency food parcels to people in crisis.
Tesco, which also donates its unsold food to FareShare, has topped up the collection by 20% in cash to help with the charities’ operating costs and ensure the food can get to where it is most needed.
Tesco UK and Northern Ireland chief executive Jason Tarry was thrilled to see donations go up by 53% from last year despite the difficult time many are facing.
“We know that household budgets are very stretched, but our customers have been incredible,” he said.
“We had people donating whole trollies of food at our recent Tesco Food Collection, and it is genuinely heart-warming to see so much kindness.
“The fact that we now have collection points in every store has made it easier than ever for customers to donate, and those donations are really needed.”
‘Tsunami of need amid cost-of-living emergency’
In addition to the food donations, customers have also raised more than £550,000 for the charities by rounding up their bills at the till and taking part in other Tesco initiatives.
The Press and Journal and Evening Express have also teamed up with Cfine – FareShare’s main distributor for the north and north-east – to boost foodbank supplies.
Through The Big Christmas Food Appeal, we are trying to tackle food poverty and help more struggling families access the support available across the region.
Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust said all Tesco donations are essential and will enable foodbanks to provide immediate help to people facing hardships.
She added: “Foodbanks across the UK are facing their hardest winter yet as they struggle to cope with a tsunami of need caused by the cost-of-living emergency.
“On a daily basis foodbanks in our network are hearing from families up and down the country who are having to make impossible decisions between putting food on the table or turning on the heating – and too many people are being left with no option but to use a foodbank because their money simply won’t stretch.”
Lindsay Boswell, chief executive at FareShare, also thanked everyone who has donated and added: “Our charities have told us how difficult things have become as a result of the cost of living crisis, with many expecting to see a huge increase in need as the weather gets even colder.
“The support we have seen from people at the collections and throughout 2022, in both time and donations, will help FareShare to continue getting much needed food to the people that need it most this winter.”
Conversation