Vogel’s donates record number of breakfasts to Salvation Army

Makers of Vogel’s Breakfast Cereal have donated a record number of cereal packs to The Salvation Army food banks.

The donation of muesli is equivalent to around 47,000 breakfasts and is the largest one-off donation of breakfast cereal The Salvation Army has ever received.

The packs of muesli will be included in emergency food parcels for families in need over the Christmas period.

This is the first time Auckland-based Smartfoods has made a donation of this size to a charity.

“The Christmas holiday period can place a huge financial strain on some families who then turn to The Salvation Army for support from the food banks to see them through,” says Smartfoods’ General Manager Vicky Taylor.

“We greatly admire the support The Salvation Army gives to people in need and we wanted to contribute in our own way,” Taylor says.

The Salvation Army spokesperson Major Robert Ross says the cereal donation is greatly welcomed.

“This will be a huge help for our food banks as this is the time of year we experience the biggest demand. During the past twelve months, our food banks have seen a 15% increase in need compared to last year,” says Major Ross.

Major Ross says events like the Canterbury earthquake and job losses from the recession have put pressure on The Salvation Army.

“What is most alarming is that we have seen a 38% increase in the number of new families requiring food parcels over the past quarter,” he says.

“People use the food bank service for various reasons. It can be because of a one-off situation or event, like an unexpected repair bill, which means they can’t afford to buy food that week. Or it can be more long-term due to unemployment.”

The Vogel’s cereal will be distributed throughout The Salvation Army’s main distribution centres nationwide.
www.vogels.co.nz

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