Woolworths customers are encouraged to make a dry food donation to its Local Community Food Drive campaign that will help out local families in need.
The Local Community Food Drive organised by Woolworths in Forbes and Parkes will help deliver food relief to those experiencing hardship in the lead-up to Christmas.
The initiative started on Wednesday, and Forbes and Parkes Shire customers are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items. A specially marked Local Community Food Drive trolley has been placed in each store, and donated items can include: breakfast cereals, pasta, rice and instant noodles, canned fish or meat, spreads (peanut butter, honey, jam); and baked beans and spaghetti.
Food insecurity is a harsh reality for many Australians with more than half a million households struggling to meet food needs, and more than two million households having gone hungry in the last 12 months, according to the 2022 FoodBank Hunger Report.
Within these households, the number of children affected has increased by 100,000, resulting in 1.3 million children grappling without having food on their plate.
Woolworths stores are working closely with local food charities to ensure Forbes and Parkes Shire residents in need will receive the donated items, along with fresh food to the value of $250 in time for the upcoming festive season.
The Food Drive is a frontline community effort to help provide a solution for hunger relief, which has been exacerbated by the rising cost of living and changes in household living arrangements.
“We’re asking Forbes and Parkes Shire customers who are in a position to do so, to join us in donating to the Woolworths Local Community Food Drive on their next grocery shop, by simply adding non-perishable items to our trolleys. By making a small donation, you will be helping the wellbeing of our local community, providing them with the essentials they need,” said the managers of the two stores.
Customers can donate in-store until 15th November.