Coronavirus (COVID-19) - South Somerset District Council thanks Oscar Mayer for donation of 6,000 meals to support the most vulnerable

South Somerset District Council has linked up with food maker Oscar Mayer to offer vital supplies to the vulnerable during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Chard-based business contacted the council to let it know it had almost 6,000 meals which could be frozen and distributed. They will be used to help feed all those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and are being supported in accommodation provided by the district council.

The only issue was the offer was so generous that we initially did not have anywhere to store all the meals which were being made available.

But our officers worked tirelessly to ensure we could make the most of Oscar Mayer’s incredibly generous donation.

A spokesman for the district council said: “When Oscar Mayer originally got in touch, we thought it would cover around 100-200 meals. When we learned it was 6,000 meals from different product lines, we were taken aback but so grateful.

“It was a real challenge to find the appropriate storage for all this food but our brilliant team has worked hard to find space for it in both in District Council buildings and at locations with partners regionally. 

“This is going to make such a difference to those most in need at this time.”

Over the past few weeks, South Somerset District Council has been taking additional actions to ensure the most vulnerable are supported through the Coronavirus crisis.

This has included:

• Securing new properties from private landlords and working with local hotels at very short notice to ensure anyone at risk of homelessness has somewhere to stay
• We have engaged with anyone currently sleeping rough to either help them into emergency accommodation, or enable them to self-isolate safely with support from local agencies and charities.
• Setting up a wellbeing hub to support those being “shielded” who have been identified as high risk due to underlying health conditions, and others that our vulnerable in our area. This includes establishing a food warehouse, customer booking system and home delivery service for our shielded and most vulnerable residents.

A spokesman for Oscar Mayer said: “We are delighted to be able to support the local community at any time, but never more so than in these unprecedented and challenging times that are affecting the lives of so many.

"It is just fantastic to see everyone pull together to support the local community and we are just grateful that these products will go some way in supporting those that need it. This situation highlights again the plight of our key workers at Oscar Mayer that continue to work consistently hard to ‘feed the nation’ and support others less fortunate."