GAA star Philly McMahon teams up with Tesco to provide families with free food packages
Programme will provide over 120,000 meals to families most in need through Irish not-for-profit, the Good Grub Initiative
Print4 January 2022
Dublin GAA legend, Philly McMahon has teamed up with Tesco to announce a new pilot programme that will provide thousands of meals to feed children and families across Ireland.
Stronger Starts, in partnership with the Good Grub Initiative, will provide 1,000 families per week with free nutritious food packages containing potatoes, carrots, onions, and apples, to support them in preparing healthy meals at home.
Good Grub is a not-for-profit initiative that has, since the start of the Covid pandemic, delivered nutritious fruit & veg parcels directly to the families of a number of DEIS school children around Ireland. During the pilot, home school community liaison officers in over 40 DEIS schools will identify families who may need supplemental support at home this winter.
Tesco began partnering with the Good Grub Initiative as a pilot programme in November 2021 and the pilot campaign which will run until February will see Tesco provide the equivalent of over 120,000 thousand meals to families most in need in communities around Ireland.
As part of the campaign, Tesco will also partner with a number of Local Heroes from around Ireland who will create compelling video content to demonstrate how healthy and nutritious food is the best ingredient in any recipe.
Speaking about swapping his Dublin jersey for a different type of All Ireland campaign, Philly McMahon said that giving back to his community has always been a top priority for him, “I’m delighted to support Tesco on this initiative to give back to local communities all over Ireland,” he said. “I’ve seen first-hand how giving children and their families a strong start can make a positive difference in their lives and the lives of others.”
The new partnership with Tesco has been warmly welcomed by the Good Grub Initiative co-founder, Denis O’Reilly who said it would help their work in supplying food to many families around the country.
“We’re delighted that Tesco has come on board to help us provide nutritious packs of healthy food going into the homes that need them, complementing the Government and food provision programmes already in place in schools,” O’Reilly said. “This will make a huge difference to so many people that have been affected by increased food insecurity because of the pandemic.”
“The Stronger Starts pilot programme is a simple way for us and our customers to support families in need around the country,” said Kari Daniels, Tesco Ireland, CEO. “We are delighted to partner with Denis, David and the team at the Good Grub Initiative on this community programme and look forward to growing our partnership. The Stronger Start programme helps our communities with a healthy start while also inspiring healthier choices for our customers.”
‘Stronger Starts’ is the latest community support programme from Tesco, all of which are helping to build thriving communities across Ireland. Tesco Ireland was the first national retail partner of FoodCloud in 2014, and working with them has, to date, redistributed the equivalent of 15 million meals to nearly 400 charitable groups in communities all over Ireland – from breakfast clubs, to ’Meals on Wheels’, to community kitchens and food banks.
Once the pilot is complete in February, Tesco and the Good Grub Initiative will review and refine the programme with the aim of reaching more children and families across Ireland.
Related Articles
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 finalists revealed →
Milish Bakery secures multi-million euro deal with M&S →
Powerscourt Distillery announces return of “Spirit of Wicklow” Awards →
Fans 0
Followers