Tesco Food Collection feeds the needy in Inverness
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INVERNESS shoppers donated more than 8700 meals to food banks and groups feeding people in the local community during a national collection organised by Tesco.
The figures show that a total of 2.5 million meals were donated to the Trussell Trust and FareShare following Tesco Food Collection – which the supermarket topped up by an additional 20 per cent.
Donations to food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network are being used to provide food parcels for people in crisis, while donations to FareShare go to charities and community groups, such as homeless shelters and older people’s lunch clubs, who also receive surplus food from Tesco stores.
The donations were in addition to items given by customers throughout the year at a network of more than 500 permanent collection points at Tesco stores.
In the year to October more than seven million meals were donated to food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network at those in-store collection points.
Tesco director Christine Heffernan thanked customers and said: “On my visits to stores during the collection I was taken aback by the generosity of our customers.”
The Trussell Trust’s chief executive, Emma Revie, added: “Food banks up and down the country could not do what they do without the incredible support of the public and their loyal volunteers who work tirelessly to help people when they need support the most.
“An emergency food parcel, listening ear and compassionate, practical advice at the food bank can make a real difference when someone is facing a crisis. Any donations help make that difference.”
Lindsay Boswell, chief executive at FareShare, said: “We are hugely grateful to every single person who volunteered and donated items during this year’s Tesco Food Collection – it was wonderful to see so many passionate people lending a hand to support us.”
The Tesco Food Collection ran in Tesco stores in the UK from November 21 to 23.
