The car rental company to invest €120,000 in Crosscare over the next six years
15th MARCH 2017 - As part of a US$60 million programme launched by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation to combat hunger in Europe and North America, social support agency Crosscare has received the first of six €20,000 annual donations to help fight food poverty in Ireland.
The donation is part of a wider initiative by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation called Fill Your Tank, which has been designed to celebrate the company’s 60th global anniversary this year and its 20th anniversary in Ireland. As part of the initiative, the company will provide US$60 million over the next six years to address food insecurity in the countries where it has wholly-owned business operations in Europe and North America. In Europe, the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), a not-for-profit organisation that accelerates the development and growth of food banks in more than 30 countries around the world.
Through its worldwide partnership with GFN, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is investing a total of €120,000 to address hunger in Ireland through Crosscare over the next six years. This grant will help to increase Crosscare’s capacity to redistribute surplus food to people in need throughout the country and to supply the charity’s cafés.
According to the Department of Social Protection’s Social Inclusion Monitor Report 13.1% of the population were experiencing food poverty in Ireland in 2014.
Dublin-based Crosscare operates food banks which distribute food to those most in need. In addition to running food banks and community cafés, the charity provides a range of social care, homeless services, community and youth work. Its work is not confined to the Dublin area as its food bank operation provides much needed food supplies to hundreds of organisations in need.
Crosscare’s food banks collect surplus food products from food producers, supermarkets, farms, etc., and then redistribute the donated products to charities across the country living in food poverty. The organisation accepts various items, from frozen foods to household and personal care products.
Conor Hickey, CEO of Crosscare, said: “Crosscare is thrilled to be partnering with Enterprise to tackle food poverty in Ireland. We are grateful for the very generous donation, which we will receive over the next six years. In the immediate term, the current donation will be used to purchase a refrigerated vehicle to help transport food to those most in need in Ireland. In the coming years we hope that, with GFN and Enterprise’s support, we can help thousands of people through the provision of essential food and support services.”
George O’Connor, Managing Director, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Crosscare as food insecurity is prevalent in many communities across Ireland. As an organisation with 25 branches across the country, supporting the communities where we operate is a vital part of the Enterprise culture. In particular it is an honour to be able to make this donation on our company’s 20th anniversary in business in Ireland and 60th anniversary globally.”
Lisa Moon, President and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network, said: “This extraordinary gift will make a tremendous difference in alleviating hunger in Ireland and around the world in a meaningful way. The donation will help expand efforts to support social inclusion while reducing food waste and its harmful effects on our environment. It will help break barriers that keep people from achieving their full potential and leading healthy, productive lives.”
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Notes to Editors
About Crosscare
Crosscare was established over seventy years ago by the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin with the primary function to address the effects of food poverty on the population. Crosscare’s current Food Bank structure was established over thirty years ago and now annually diverts over 850 tonnes of food from landfill and redirects it to those most in need.
The Food Bank has been designed to work collecting surplus food products from food producers, supermarkets, manufacturers etc. and then redistribute the donated product to over 70 charities working to help those marginalised, excluded and /or living in poverty. This bank accepts all products, from frozen foods right across to household and personal care products.
With the recent recession hitting communities so hard it was decided that a new model based within the very community it aimed to serve be established and the Community Food Bank Model was created. These community food banks are unique as they are run by community volunteers who carry out local food drives to help people living within the immediate area.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation
The founder of Enterprise, Jack Taylor, established the company in 1957 with a fleet of seven cars. Today, Enterprise operates in more than 85 countries and territories and is the largest car rental company in the world, based on revenue, fleet size and number of locations. Taylor started the Foundation in 1982 as a way to give back to the communities that drove Enterprise’s growth and success. Since then, the Foundation and the Taylor family have contributed more than $1 billion to thousands of local non-profits, with a special focus on community improvement, education and environmental stewardship. Meanwhile, each year Enterprise employees contribute their time and skills to thousands of national and local organisations in the cities and neighbourhoods they serve. For more information please contact Pearse O’Loughlin on poloughlin@cullencommunications.ie
About The Global FoodBanking Network
The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is a non-profit organization that nourishes the world’s hungry through launching and strengthening food banks in more than 30 countries. Last year GFN member food banks rescued 930 million pounds of food and redirected it to feed more than 6.8 million people through 27,000 social service organizations. For more information please visit www.foodbanking.org or contact Jessica Tuquero, Manager/Communications, jtuquero@foodbanking.org.