Red Rock Renewables has partnered with Edinburgh-based charity, Empty Kitchens Full Hearts to help tackle food insecurity across the Capital through team volunteering and a £5,000 donation.
The £5,000 contribution from Red Rock will enable the charity, located in Granton, to provide two days’ worth of meals, as well as regular wellbeing checks and a referral service, for 250 people.
Eager to do more, two groups of Red Rock team members spent time at the charity’s kitchen, helping to prepare and pack healthy meals that are delivered to people living in poverty across the city.
Frazer Wardhaugh, Chief Legal Officer who was one of the volunteers, said: “We are proud to support Empty Kitchens Full Hearts and the vital work it achieves in our community. Our team found the volunteering experience extremely rewarding, and it brought home the extent to how vital a lifeline this service is for people facing difficult circumstances. We hope our contribution has helped the charity continue to reach those who need it most.”
Originally founded in spring 2020 as a temporary response to the growing need for food support during the pandemic, Empty Kitchens Full Hearts has since delivered over 2.2 million free meals to people in Edinburgh. The service is run by a team of staff and volunteers and relies entirely on food and monetary donations to operate.
Its beneficiaries include people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation with limited access to cooking facilities, individuals whose benefits have stopped or lapsed, and people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
Sarah Hutchison, Fundraising Officer at Empty Kitchens Full Hearts, added: “80,000 people in Edinburgh are living in poverty, including 1 in 5 children. Good food is a human right, and no one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. With its donation and team volunteer time, Red Rock has directly helped people out of a crisis situation and towards a food secure future. Thank you from everyone at Empty Kitchens Full Hearts.”
For more information about Empty Kitchens Full Hearts and how you can support their work, visit https://www.emptykitchens.co.uk/