SuperValu donates hand sanitisers to those most in need

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues hand hygiene has become more important than ever and hand sanitiser is a vital tool in keeping ourselves safe. Vulnerable people or those without their own home may not have the means to purchase hand sanitiser at all times. SuperValu is proud to donate over one million hand sanitisers to St. Vincent de Paul and to those living Direct Provision Centres in Ireland with the support of the Irish Refugee Council and Doras.

Rose McGowan, SVP National President said; "This extremely generous donation will be of great value to SVP in supporting those who seek our help either through direct assistance provided by volunteers in conferences throughout the country or used in our hostels and social housing units. Many of those we help struggle on low pay and constantly have to make choices with regard to what bills to pay, or what food or household goods to buy. This donation of hand sanitisers in the current Covid era is very welcome and the logistics of distributing them will be managed through our national retail network. Our sincere thanks to SuperValu for this donation and for the continued support to local SVP Conferences in communities around the country.”

John Lannon, CEO of Doras said ”With a weekly allowance of €38.80 for adults and €29.90 for children, people in Direct Provision have little means to purchase essential items in normal times, let alone items that are now essential since the pandemic began, such as personal hand sanitiser. Living in congregated settings such as Direct Provision during Covid-19 means people have little control over their health outcomes – this kind donation of hand sanitiser from SuperValu can help people to do what they can to prevent the spread of Covid. We will be supplying to people in centres in the Mid-West, and we also plan to support other vulnerable people from a migrant background living in the community.”

Commenting Ian Allen, SuperValu Managing Director said “The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is a challenging time for everyone and with hand hygiene a crucial step in keeping safe. We are delighted to support St. Vincent de Paul and those living in Direct Provision with 1 million hand sanitisers. As a community retailer SuperValu is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our communities and our stores and staff are there to help in every way they can.”