SHOPPERS are being asked to put the Every Little Helps slogan into action next month to help Wokingham’s Foodbank stock up for the summer.
The Tesco store in Finchampstead Road will hold the food collection in aid of The Trussell Trust and FareShare.
As they enter the store, customers will be asked to add a number of long-life store cupboard staples to their shopping lists, which will then be given to the charities. And Tesco will top up customer donations with a 20% cash donation.
The collection will take place from Thursday, July 15 to Saturday, July 17.
Jason Tarry, Tesco UK & Northern Ireland CEO, said: “The Trussell Trust and FareShare face extra demands during the summer, when children who would normally enjoy a healthy meal in school may miss out.
“That is why we have decided to hold this extra collection to help ensure that children across the UK can enjoy a happier and healthier summer without missing out on meals.”
FareShare and the Trussell Trust welcomed the extra collection.
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Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “The demand for food from the communities we serve remains very high and, with the combination of the pandemic and many families struggling to afford to eat during the school holidays when free school meals are not available, we anticipate this will continue to be the case for many months.
“We are incredibly grateful to Tesco for running this additional summer food collection, which will ensure that we can continue supporting the thousands of charities feeding the most vulnerable children and families across the UK.”
This was a view shared by Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust.
“No-one should face the indignity of needing emergency food,” she said. “Yet in the last year, food banks in our network provided record numbers of emergency food parcels to people struggling to afford the essentials.
“This is not right but we know we can build a better future. Thanks to the incredible ongoing generosity of Tesco, we are thrilled that customers will be able to support food banks during the Summer Food Collection.
“Every donation makes such a difference and helps food banks in our network provide the best possible emergency support while we work together towards building a hunger free future.”
The summer collection is in addition to the annual pre-Christmas Tesco Food Collection.
Volunteers are needed to support the collection.
To find out more, or get involved, visit: www.fareshare.org.uk/foodcollection
