McCain Foods will donate 250,000 meals to food relief organisations across Australia and New Zealand to support those facing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation will include McCain ready meals and pizzas, as well as chips, vegetables and Sara Lee desserts.
The company is one of many producers assisting food relief organisations at this time, alongside Kellogg Australia, Nestle Australia and PepsiCo.
McCain will share its donations among Foodbank, Fareshare Victoria, Second Bite Australia, Empower Australia, Nourish for Nil, Salvation Army, 0800 Hungry and Oxford Community Trust.
“People have been stocking up with frozen foods in preparation for lockdown, and food relief organisations are no different, in that they also need a stable supply of frozen vegetables and meals as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic escalate,” said McCain Foods regional president Louis Wolthers.
“Given the scale of the need, we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to support these reputable charities, which provide such important support to our local communities.”
“This certainly makes sense for us, and it’s something our people are proud of. McCain is hoping this donation will help to remind Australians and New Zealanders of the importance of staying connected. We’re in this together, after all,” said Wolthers.
The donations began at the start of April and will continue over the next few months as food relief organisations return to full staff and storage capability.
“We are so grateful for this incredibly generous donation of frozen food from McCain, one of our long- standing national donors who have supported us regularly through thick and thin,” said Foodbank CEO Brianna Casey.
“Foodbank has seen a 50 percent increase in demand for food and grocery relief due to job loss and small business closures across the country and donations such as these are critical to help vulnerable Australians now and for as long as it takes for our country to recover from the effects of COVID-19.”
McCain’s donations in the region form part of the company’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
