WITH FOOD banks and charities facing increasing levels of need this winter, people are being urged to give the gift of their time to take part in the UK’s biggest food donation drive.
The Tesco Food Collection is taking place in all Tesco stores from November 30 to December 2 and the Trussell Trust and FareShare are urging volunteers to sign-up to support the event in store.
It comes as both charities face their busiest winter yet as more people turn to them for support.
The Trussell Trust, which has the largest foodbank network in the UK, is expecting to distribute more than one million emergency food parcels between December and February, while FareShare has over 1,500 frontline charities on its waiting list seeking food.
During the collection Tesco customers will be encouraged to donate long-life food to support the charities in their work to help its network of food banks provide emergency food parcels to people who cannot afford the essentials, while donations to FareShare will get food to its network of 8,500 local charities and community groups.
Tesco is calling on volunteers to staff collection points to raise awareness of the impact every donation will have on people across the UK, who rely on Trussell Trust and FareShare for food.
Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said: “This winter is going to be the toughest yet for the food banks in our network as they will help approximately 600,000 people and provide an emergency parcel every eight seconds.
“The teams in our food banks are working tirelessly to ensure everyone receives the support they need but they cannot do it alone.
“By volunteering at the Tesco Winter Food Collection you will not only be helping to gather much-needed donations to keep your local food bank going, you’ll also be making a real difference to families who cannot afford the essentials in your community. If you can spare a few hours to volunteer then please do.”
George Wright, chief executive at FareShare added: “We anticipate need will keep rising as people continue to struggle to afford the essentials like food and heating this winter.
“Volunteers play a huge role in the success of the Tesco Food Collection each year. By giving up just three hours of your time, you can make a huge impact by helping more people understand the importance of donating food to FareShare during this increasingly difficult time.”
To sign up to volunteer with FareShare click here or with the Trussell Trust click here.
