Rashford’s fight against food poverty continues.
In the wake of *those* food parcels which were sent to families in need this week, Aldi has confirmed that it will donate 10 million meals to children in need this year as part of a collaboration with Marcus Rashford. The footballer has been making headlines regularly in the past year, using his platform to raise awareness for just how prevalent the food poverty issue is in the country right now.
To help combat hunger’s devastating effects, @AldiUK are pledging to donate 10 million meals to families in need in 2021, working with myself and @nbrly
For more info: https://t.co/eC44q4m2vL#AldiHungerMonster #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY pic.twitter.com/aEF8eUTJJw
— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) January 13, 2021
The project will work alongside award-winning platform Neighbourly, who work to connect businesses to charitable organisations within local communities. At present, one in five children in the UK live in a ‘food-insecure household’.
Speaking about the pledge, Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We’re making it our mission to fight against child food poverty as no child should ever go hungry. Not only are we pledging to donate 10 million meals throughout 2021 to families that need it, this campaign also aims to help raise awareness of the increasing number of families struggling to put food on the table.”
Neighbourly CEO, Steve Butterworth, added: “We are thrilled to be working with Aldi to further its commitment to supporting local communities and help make a dent in the UK’s hunger epidemic. I know first-hand the vast number of children that rely on our local charity partners in order to go to bed without an empty stomach, and this commitment will go a long way for the families who are struggling to put food on the table.”
This isn’t the first time Aldi has used their popularity for the greater good, regularly donating surplus food to local food banks – particularly around Christmastime – to help out those in need. The supermarket works alongside local charities and initiatives to ensure food is donated to those who need it the most, not only feeding hungry tums, but also avoiding food waste, too.
https://twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576
Earlier this week, the government faced huge backlash from the public after an outpour of parents shared shocking photos of food parcels they were sent as part of the free school meals scheme. The parcels were intended to feed children for ten days, however, many felt they were an inadequate replacement for the £30 vouchers previously offered. The government has since U-turned on the change, following further criticism from Rashord.
WHAT THERE ISN’T MONEY FOR:
▪️Sheltering the homeless in lockdown
▪️Proper sick pay
▪️Proper support for those self-isolating
▪️3m self-employed
▪️Proper pay rise for NHS staffWHAT THERE IS MONEY FOR:
▪️Private firms making £25 per inadequate food parcel https://t.co/V5XJL3RpEM— David Schneider (@davidschneider) January 12, 2021
To support Aldi’s new campaign to feed hungry children, the supermarket has released a heartwarming animation voiced by Rashford himself, helping to raise awareness of ‘the increasing number of families struggling to put food on the table’.
Rashford said: “Reading the script for the Aldi animation I felt like I was talking about myself 10 years ago. This story is a reality for millions of children so, of course, I was happy to lend my voice.
“I’m proud to call Aldi a Founding Member of the Child Food Poverty Taskforce. Aldi has continued to take active steps to combat the issue of child food poverty and I would encourage everyone to get involved in their pledge to donate 10 million meals.
“2021 is a time to level the playing field once-and-for-all.”