Tesco has launched a pilot programme that will provide thousands of meals to feed children and families experiencing food insecurity.

Stronger Starts is in partnership with the Good Grub Initiative, an Irish not-for-profit that distributes food for families through the DEIS school network.

Through the programme, Tesco says it will provide 1,000 families per week with free food packages containing potatoes, carrots, onions, and apples.

Good Grub is a not-for-profit initiative that has, since the start of the Covid pandemic, delivered nutritious fruit & veg parcels 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.

In Association with

Tesco began partnering with the Good Grub Initiative as a pilot programme in November 2021 and will now engage its customers with an awareness campaign at store level through January.

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.

Kari Daniels, Tesco Ireland, CEO, said: “Through our Tesco stores nationwide we want to help children and their families who need it to have access to healthy and nutritious food and help them have a stronger start in life. We are delighted to partner with the team at the Good Grub Initiative on the Stronger Starts programme to do this, and we hope together we can make a real difference.”

The Good Grub Initiative was co-founded by Denis O’Reilly (Outdoor Spaces), David Kelly (Disco Law) as well as Billy O’Reilly (business student).

Photo (l-r): David Kelly, Kari Daniels, Denis O’Reilly and former Dublin GAA footballer Philly McMahon. (Pic: Naoise Culhane)