There are many people who absolutely love the holiday season and they wait all year long for Christmas to arrive. During that season, they spend time with friends and family and it is some of the best times that they have all year. Even though that may be the case for some, Christmas is a different reality for others. It is important to remember those who may be less fortunate than ourselves and to give what we can to them to make their season bright as well.
One supermarket chain is doing something about the situation. They are Aldi, a supermarket that has outlets located in many different areas of Europe as well as more than 1000 stores in the United States. It is a popular chain in the UK and the reason why it is successful is easy to see. They focus on selling quality products and food at prices that are difficult to beat.
Aldi is making itself an even more popular target this year because of what they are doing. They have decided to donate the surplus food they have to the homeless this holiday season.
Many companies are going to run a donation scheme during the holidays. It allows customers to donate food to those who are not as fortunate so they can enjoy this time of year. Aldi decided to take things to the next level and redistribute the fresh surplus food from its 775 stores in the UK to homeless charities on Christmas Eve. Those charities will then be able to distribute the food to those who needed.
In other words, even those who don’t have a dime can still enjoy a nice Christmas dinner.
There is a lot of food that goes to waste in the United States and the UK. It happens for a variety of reasons, such as being out of date, damaged packaging or just because it stayed on the shelves for too long. It’s nice to see at least one company that is doing something to get rid of the problem while at the same time, helping those out who need it.
As part of the Aldi decision, charities and good causes will be associated with local stores. They can pick up perishable products, including fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, fish and bread after the stores close at 6 PM.
They are hoping that they will be able to give more than 450,000 meals to over 300 charities located in the UK. That was their goal last year and they want to surpass it this year.
Fritz Walleczek, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility, said: “We’re starting our festive donations scheme even earlier this year to give as many charities as possible the opportunity to apply.
“We want to give something back to the communities that we serve at such an important time of year.
“Last year we were able to reach thousands of people across the UK, and some charities were even able to prepare fresh meals that fed families well into the New Year.”
Our hats are off to the folks at Aldi. It is our hope that others learn from their example.