The John Lewis Partnership is to donate millions of fruit snacks to children to help combat holiday hunger.
The retailer revealed that with up to three million children at risk of going hungry over the school holidays, it has launched a number of initiatives to help. It includes working with FareShare and Waitrose farmers and suppliers to provide four million healthy snacks to more than 3,000 charities and local organisations across the UK, many of which are part of the government’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
The snacks will vary from week to week, but the selection will include bananas, grapes, stonefruit, citrus, melons, mango, kiwi, tomatoes and cucumber.
JLP is also making an annual donation of £200,000 to the Trussell Trust, which will help to enable 136 food banks in the trust's network to support thousands of families with emergency food and practical support over the summer. Further, the retailer is inviting and encouraging customers to donate to help families online via DONR.
Marija Rompani, ethics and sustainability director at JLP, said: “The summer holidays should be a glorious and carefree time for young children but the sad reality is that many go hungry.
“We know many families are struggling this summer and we want to do our part. We are therefore harnessing our longstanding relationships with our farmers and suppliers to provide nourishing and healthy snacks this summer. We can’t act in isolation and are thrilled that so many food businesses are joining us in taking an active role this summer to help vulnerable families in need. If we all join together in tackling this issue, then we can help end child poverty for good.”
This initiative follows in the footsteps of JLP's Give a Little Love 'Farm to Family' initiative, which saw five million surplus food items diverted directly from British farms to reach families in need across the UK.
