AN EVESHAM foodbank has shared their gratitude to supermarket giants Tesco for their ongoing donations.
Caring Hands in the Vale receives food donations from Tesco as part of the supermarket’s Community Food Connection Scheme.
The food from Tesco allows Caring Hands to ensure the community pantry can open regularly and has fresh produce for its home cooked drop-in meals.
Made up of 40 volunteers and three members of staff, Caring Hands provide practical support for people in need through five dedicated resource banks offering food, household, baby, homelessness and pet food items.
They host drop-in meals and provide access to a community pantry three times a week.
Diane Bennett, community outreach manager at Caring Hands in the Vale, said: “Since we became a registered charity in 2016, we’ve seen the demand for food parcels almost triple – especially since the cost-of-living crisis.
“The team at Evesham Tesco has been supporting our cause for many years now and we are extremely grateful.
“They’ve helped with a range of initiatives and without the help of the store staff we wouldn’t be able to open our community pantry some days.
“These food donations do make a difference, they allow households to ensure fresh fruit and vegetables are available to all.”
Community Food Connection runs at every Tesco store across the county and every day provides surplus food from Tesco directly to community groups, in partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare.
Sarah Briggs, store manager at Evesham Tesco, said: “It’s wonderful to witness the commitment the team at Caring Hands in the Vale put into their community.
“Their dedication shines through everything they do, and to be able to assist them is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in because everyone deserves access to a well-balanced meal, no matter their situation.”
Visit www.fareshare.org.uk/getting-food for more information.
