Woolworths Parkes is part of an ambitious donation target to raise the equivalent of seven million meals this Christmas, to help support charity partner OzHarvest meet the growing demand for food relief across NSW.
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One in six Australian adults are now considered severely food insecure and more than half of the people impacted by food insecurity go a full day each week without eating.
To mark the seventh annual Christmas Appeal with OzHarvest, Woolworths NSW is aiming to join in achieving a record fundraising amount of $3.5million, in partnership with customers, to support Australian families in need - which is the equivalent of seven million meals.
Parkes Woolworths customers can now purchase a 50 cent token when they shop in store or online which will help provide the equivalent of a meal to those in need of food relief across the country.
Customers can also choose to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar, with proceeds going directly to the Christmas Appeal.
Additionally, another 50 cents will be donated from every limited edition, OzHarvest Santa Cookie sold in-store from 24 November, 2021.
Woolworths has committed to a donation of $500,000 to kick off the appeal.
Since partnering with Woolworths, OzHarvest has collected more than 15 million kgs of food from stores, enabling the equivalent of 45 million meals to be delivered.
Last year's Woolworths Christmas Appeal raised the equivalent of six million meals that were donated to OzHarvest.
Woolworths Parkes Store Manager, Harjit Sing said Christmas wasn't a happy time for everyone, and there are many that need help.
"For most Parkes residents, Christmas is a joyful time, but for those not knowing how they are putting food on the table, the holiday period can be an extra stressful time," he said.
"Woolworths Parkes is committed to caring for the Parkes community and we are proud of what we've been able to achieve to date with our long standing food relief partner OzHarvest.
"We're grateful for the generosity of our customers to help Australians in need, particularly during the Christmas season.
"A little bit can go a long way to help feed a person or family and we encourage anyone who can give back to purchase a token or round up their purchase to the nearest dollar the next time they shop with us," said Harjit.
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Ronni Kahn AO, OzHarvest Founder and CEO said a little money can go a long way.
"The statistics for people who do not have enough to eat are shocking and heartbreaking," he said.
"The pandemic has seen so many people turning to food relief for the first time in their lives.
"Food is a big part of festive celebrations, but for many families doing it tough it's a reminder of what they don't have.
"A simple 50 cent token or round up at the checkout could mean food on the table for someone in need.
"We are thankful to local Parkes Woolworths customers and their wonderful support to OzHarvest and the Christmas Appeal, which helps keep our wheels turning and getting good food to those who need it most," said Ronni.
OzHarvest was also a major partner of the first Woolworths Local Community Food Drive, redirecting non-perishable food from hundreds of Woolworths stores nationally, to help feed Australians experiencing food insecurity.
The supermarket also helped OzHarvest create and deliver 5,500 kids hampers to local Sydney communities impacted by the recent lockdown.
For more information on how to support, please visit www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/community/ozharvest
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