Generous Lanarkshire shoppers donated over 570 meals as part of a food drive to help people facing hunger in the local area.
Customers at Asda's Blantyre store dug deep last month, adding extra food items and toiletries to their trolleys which were then passed on to a collection for Hamilton District Foodbank.
The event took place as part of a national food drive in partnership with food banks across the Trussell Trust’s network, encouraging customers to donate additional products to support people experiencing financial hardship in Blantyre.
Asda has had customer collection food trolleys in store for five years and in that time its customers have donated the equivalent of over nine million meals.
Mary Sutherland, community champion at Asda Blantyre, told Lanarkshire Live : “We know the ever-important role food banks play in our local communities so it was great to see our brilliant customers do what they can to help.
"Of course, we collect all year round, but we are so thankful for their help during our food drive.”
Through the £25m donation Asda has made to its charity partners since 2018, £5.7m has been granted to food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network to provide wraparound services that help put money into people’s pockets, for example by ensuring people have all the social security support they’re entitled to.
Sophie Carre from the Trussell Trust told us : “We’re so grateful for the huge support Asda customers have shown during the recent food drive.
"These generous donations are helping food banks provide vital support to people who don’t have enough money for the things we all need to live – this is crucial right now, as the cost-of-living soars, squeezing incomes that were already stretched too far.
“Ultimately, it’s not right that anyone is left without enough money and has no option but to use a food bank.
"So we’re really grateful for Asda customers’ support as food banks work to provide practical help to people right now, while we build a future where none of us need a food bank, because none of us will allow it.”
Beyond the partnership with the Trussell Trust, Asda also makes charitable donations through a back of store donation scheme, which in 2021 saw stores, depots and Asda’s home office donate enough surplus food to community projects to make the equivalent of 6.6m meals and is part of the supermarket’s commitment to reduce food waste by 50 per cent by 2030.
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