After a difficult year for many charities, Asda is thanking hundreds of hard working volunteers on the front line by delivering festive hampers, as a thank you for their continued support to provide for people struggling to afford the basics in their community.
Volunteers from Asda’s charity partners FareShare and the Trussell Trust who are working in local food banks and food distribution centres will be receiving the hampers, which will be filled with indulgent festive treats and a personalised message from Santa.
The pandemic has continued to add pressure to the Trussell Trust’s network of food banks and food redistribution charity FareShare, with many more families needing emergency food parcels this year. Asda wants to recognise the commitment of hard-working volunteers who have supported thousands more families with food and vital services throughout 2020.
Kloe Tegg, Asda’s Fight Hunger Manager said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to volunteers up and down the country who not just at Christmas, but all year round, have worked incredibly hard under difficult circumstances to help so many people throughout 2020. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue to deliver the work of our Fight Hunger Create Change programme, which supports thousands of people to access vital food and services right across the UK.”
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare chief executive, said:
“If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of kindness and supporting those most in need in our community – and our network of over 1,300 unsung hero volunteers are a shining example of this. In the face of demand rising higher than ever before, our volunteers have worked tirelessly to help FareShare double the amount of food distributed across the UK each week – and as we navigate a challenging and uncertain Christmas, we know the fight is far from over.
“A huge thank you to Asda for recognising our volunteers’ vital work and helping spread Christmas cheer to our brilliant team of volunteers all across the UK. Thanks to Asda’s support and the work of our volunteers, we continue to fight hunger and food waste by getting good surplus food onto the plates of those who need it most.”
Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust said:
“This year volunteers in our network of food banks have helped more people than ever before, all while working hard to make sure that support was safe and Covid-secure. They have been incredible, and we are so grateful to Asda for recognising their hard work in such a lovely way. The hard work of volunteers doesn’t end with providing that vital emergency help – food bank volunteers have also been working hard throughout this year to campaign for a future where everyone has enough money for the basics. It’s not right that any of us are forced to charity for food, but we know that with volunteers and partners coming together to push for longer-term change, we can build a hunger free future, for good.”
Through Asda’s Fight Hunger Create Change Partnership, the retailer continues to support families throughout the festive season, committing to providing over 1 million meals to help people struggling to afford food across the UK, in addition to the 50 million meals that have been provided since the beginning of the partnership in 2018.
Earlier this month, Asda also announced it would be extending provisions for families across the country by providing around 215,000 free meals to children ages 16 and under in all its 216 cafes, with no minimum spend required.