Tesco is launching a fruit and vegetable scheme aimed at helping children experiencing food insecurity this summer.
The UK retailer’s Buy One to Help a Child initiative, which runs through 8 August, hopes to gain three million meals that will be turned around and distributed by charitable organisation FareShare.
There are currently more than two million kids in the UK who suffer from hunger each day.
“We all have a role to play in the community and I’m so grateful to Tesco for stepping up to support vulnerable children and families through a difficult time,” said football star Marcus Rashford, one of the leaders in helping solve the food crisis in the UK through his Child Poverty Task Force. “Whilst collectively we have made progress, numbers are continuing to rise of children going without meals. The Buy One to Help a Child campaign will make a huge difference to the thousands of families who are struggling at the moment to put food on the table.”
For every piece of fresh produce purchased in Tesco stores, the retailer will make a donation that will support community organizations through FareShare. The two have teamed up to provide 29 million meals to those in need during the past COVID-19-stricken year. All told, Tesco and FareShare have combined on 120 million free meals over the past five years.
“We wanted to find a really simple way to do our bit and help our customers do the same,” Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and ROI CEO, said. “We hope Buy One to Help A Child will encourage healthier choices for our customers at the same time as helping to feed children who need it most, so we can continue to help support the communities in which we live and work.”
FareShare CEO Lindsay Boswell said the scheme will help thousands of groups working with children and families.
“In the last year, FareShare has doubled the amount of food we’re providing to people struggling to get enough to eat. While the lockdown may be easing, we know that food insecurity remains high,” he said. “That’s why we are so pleased to see Tesco and its customers helping us to support children who need it. It will make a huge difference to so many people that have been affected by the pandemic.”
