Coles has launched a nationwide campaign to help provide meals for a growing number of people facing hardship this Christmas.
The Christmas Appeal in Coles supermarkets and liquor stores across Australia will raise funds for food relief.
All funds raised from this year’s Appeal will go to food rescue charity SecondBite. This will ensure that SecondBite can continue its work of rescuing and delivering unsold edible food to community organisations who provide food relief across the country in the form of cooked meals, food hampers and essential ingredients.
Shoppers can support SecondBite this Christmas by purchasing a $2 donation card at a Coles checkout from today until Christmas Eve. They can also make a donation at Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market or Vintage Cellars store until 12 December.
SecondBite Ambassador and Board Director Matt Preston says community food relief organisations across Australia are bracing themselves for the Christmas crunch and urges shoppers to support the cause.
“Christmas can be a time of joy but also a time of great stress for individuals and families, particularly for those who don’t know when their next meal will be or who has been impacted by Covid-19, whether it be physically, financially or emotionally,” he says.
“Eight out of 10 community organisations we support have told us they are expecting demand for food relief to increase this Christmas due to the impact of Covid-19 on employment and household finances for already stretched families, with more than half of these organisations expecting demand to increase significantly.
“The beauty of the Coles Christmas Appeal is that for as little as $2, shoppers can help SecondBite to provide the equivalent of ten meals to a person or family in need.”
10-year milestone
This year’s Appeal coincides with Coles’ 10-year anniversary of working with SecondBite.
Coles Chief Sustainability, Property & Export Officer Thinus Keevé says Coles is extremely proud of its 10-year partnership with SecondBite and is committed to working together towards zero hunger.
“When we first partnered with SecondBite 10 years ago, it was a unique and ground-breaking partnership among supermarkets not just in Australia but across the world to reduce food waste and help feed vulnerable members of our community,” he says.
“We’re extremely proud of our partnership with SecondBite and it’s a cause that our team members passionately support throughout the year, whether it be by ensuring all unsold edible food gets diverted from landfill to SecondBite or by raising funds during our Coles Christmas Appeal.
“We encourage our customers to get behind this worthy cause as well this Christmas by simply putting a $2 donation card in their supermarket shopping basket or making a donation at one of our Coles Liquor stores.”