“Every child deserves the chance to thrive”: Eleven Waterford schools part of Tesco’s national food drive
Primary students in eleven Waterford schools, including Mount Sion Primary School, will be receiving fresh food deliveries every week as part of a campaign to combat food poverty being run by Tesco across Ireland.
Primary students in 11 Waterford schools will be receiving fresh food deliveries every week as part of a campaign to combat food poverty being run by Tesco across Ireland.
The ‘Stronger Starts Food’ campaign was launched in 2021, covering just 40 schools but has expanded to provide food to 240 DEIS primary schools throughout the country. In total, 5,400 pupils are covered by the programme. Schools will receive seasonal fruit and vegetables as well as non-perishable goods to distribute to students, with the programme having delivered its one millionth meal in May of last year.
One in five (19 per cent) of parents stated that at some point in the last year they did not have enough food to feed their children, according to a survey by Irish children’s charity, Barnardos. More than one in seven parents (16 per cent) said that they had been regularly forced to skip meals as a result of not being able to afford to purchase food, the same survey reported.
The national campaign is aiming to address that problem.
“With Stronger Starts Food, our aim is to help make a positive change within our communities,” said Rosemary Garth, Communications Director at Tesco Ireland. "Every child deserves the chance to thrive and have access to fresh, nutritious food.
“With children returning to primary schools, we’re delighted to now be back providing free, fresh food packs to 240 DEIS primary schools and 5,400 children throughout Ireland, helping children and their families to make and create meals at home.”
The international supermarket chain is working with Country Crest, Keeling's and Dole to provide the free food to students across Waterford, from Mount Sion Primary School to Portlaw National School, to combat the child poverty.
Outside of the school year, Tesco also run an initiative to combat food poverty among children encouraging customers to donate non-perishable goods to a Food Collection trolley across the country.
