Tesco Ireland has announced over €350,000 worth of food supports to help bridge the holiday health and hunger gap for those most in need this Christmas.
Working with its partners – the Family Resource Centre Network, FoodCloud, and the Children’s Right Alliance – over 145 community organisations will receive vital food donations.
These groups will then distribute the donations to thousands of homes nationwide in the coming weeks.
Tesco has successfully completed its 12th annual Christmas Food Collection, which ran from 29 November to 1 December.
It culminated in a significant €283,000 worth of food donations from customers who engaged with the collection, both in store and online.
Each year, the annual Christmas Food Collection encourages customers to donate non-perishable items to support children and families in need this time of year.
Building on the success of 2023, Tesco renewed its partnership with the Family Resource Centre Network to deliver these donated food supplies at a local community level across Ireland.
Outside of school hours, family resource centres play a crucial role in supporting children and families experiencing food poverty, with holiday hunger being a particularly acute issue during Christmas.
To reinforce its commitment to helping those in need, Tesco will top up customer food donations with over €55,000 in food supplies to FoodCloud, supporting community organisations to provide meals, food parcels, and more across the festive season.
In order to reach even more people, Tesco will also donate €20,000 to the Children’s Rights Alliance, to support the annual Christmas appeal.
These Christmas donations complement Tesco’s ongoing commitment to children’s health and well-being via Tesco’s Stronger Starts programme, which provides thousands of children with access to nutritious, free and fresh food through 240 DEIS primary schools during the school term.
‘Relief And Stability’
Speaking about the seasonal support, Tesco’s communications director, Rosemary Garth, said, “Holiday hunger is a significant issue, with many children at greater risk of food poverty when schools are closed.
“This initiative, along with our ongoing work on Tesco Stronger Starts, reinforces our ongoing dedication to the health and well-being of children and families across Ireland.”
The CEO of the Children’s Right Alliance, Tanya Ward, added, “In a country as wealthy as Ireland, there is no justification for young children going without something so vital to their health and well-being as nutritious food.
“Yet, we see this happening in many communities across Ireland, with children in minority and vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by it.
“At the Children’s Rights Alliance, we are only too aware of how this disparity becomes even more pronounced during school holidays, when supports like hot school meals are out of reach.
“The food vouchers provided by Tesco offer families some relief and stability, and the rare opportunity to enjoy the holiday season, instead of worrying about where the next meal will come from.”
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