What will the 10 cents from each kilogram sold in “Lidl” stores during Advent be spent on?
What can you do with a kilogram of apples on the eve of the Christmas holidays? There are countless options. You can simply eat them, enriching your body with a solid dose of vitamins and fiber. You can bake them with duck, chicken, or goose. You can add them to salads, make pies, spreading wonderful aromas of the approaching Christmas throughout your home...
And also, by buying a kilogram of apples (preferably not just one), you can... add a plus to your karma! However, there is one condition: the apples must be purchased at any of the stores in the LIDL retail chain. And it must be during the Advent period, that is, from November 24 to December 21.
Why? - We will explain.
With Goodness Through Life
The international retail chain “Lidl” is a socially responsible company. This means that it is engaged not only in the sale of food and related goods but also actively conducts educational and charitable activities, among other things.
The list of good deeds by “Lidl Latvija” is impressive. This includes close and fruitful cooperation with the Latvian Samaritan Association, with which the company works both within the framework of the project “Paēdušai Latvijai” (“Well-Fed Latvia”), providing food assistance, and supporting the program to help lonely elderly people “Vecums nav vientulība” (“Old Age is Not Loneliness”). There is also cooperation with the Children’s Clinical University Hospital, where wonderful projects for young patients are implemented from time to time. And much more.
“Lidl” is a long-time partner of the “SOS Bērnu Ciematu asociācija” (“SOS Children’s Villages Association”). As is known, “SOS Bērnu ciemati” is an organization that supports families in difficult situations so that parents can raise their children at home, and also helps children without parental care to acquire skills they will need in independent life - cooking, budgeting, etc. “Lidl Latvija” is actively involved in this. In particular, in cooperation with “Eco Baltija Vide,” it helps the kids from “SOS Bērnu ciemati” with household appliances - from kettles and stoves to various complex devices. As part of the educational project “Lidl dod spārnus” (“Lidl Gives Wings”), it provides scholarships to three or four of the most motivated kids to help them obtain either vocational or higher education in their chosen field... However, this year, “Lidl Latvija” decided to place a special emphasis on the kids from “SOS Bērnu ciemati.”
An Expensive Little Apple During Advent!
So what do apples have to do with Advent? The fact is that “Lidl Latvija” is conducting a charitable campaign this year, within which 10 cents from each kilogram of apples sold will be donated specifically to the “SOS Bērnu ciemati” Association.
— The idea of conscious and healthy eating is the foundation of Lidl’s corporate social responsibility strategy. - Said Dana Hasana, the communications director of “Lidl Latvija.” - To put it simply — it is important for us not only to offer exclusively quality products at friendly prices but also to influence customers' choices towards healthy and beneficial eating. This is also the goal of our current pre-Christmas campaign — to donate 10 cents from each kilogram of apples sold in stores during Advent to make the festive tables in these villages full of delicious, healthy, and diverse dishes.
Why did we choose apples instead of, say, tangerines, which are associated with the taste and smell of the New Year? The explanation is simple: according to our sales data, apples are the most popular and loved fruit among the residents of Latvia, and traditionally, they are sold by the ton during the Christmas holidays! Today we tell our customers: every kilogram of apples you buy during this period means 10 cents for a good cause. Two kilograms — 20 cents, and so on. And in total, according to our calculations, a rather impressive amount may accumulate — around 20,000 euros, or even more.
“An Apple for Dinner — and No Need for a Doctor!”
...The head of the corporate social responsibility department at “Lidl Latvija,” Antra Birzule, quotes an old English saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." And then she gets to the point:
— “SOS Bērnu ciemati” is not a random choice. A growing body needs food — and, importantly, healthy and quality food. Our overarching goal is to help the kids realize that their diet should be based on vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes — in short, healthy and nutritious food, because this is, firstly, a matter of health, and secondly, simply beneficial. After all, with the money spent on some fast food that is eaten in one or two bites, you can buy vegetables, cereals, or even meat, and prepare a tasty, and most importantly - healthy lunch for a couple of days!
Our special focus is not just on “SOS Bērnu ciemati,” but specifically on youth homes, whose residents will soon have to take the first step into independent life. Therefore, it is so important to lay as strong foundations as possible now, while they have not yet taken that step — including the foundations of healthy eating.
Therefore, we appeal to everyone who will be buying apples in “Lidl” stores — think at that moment about the kids from “SOS Bērnu ciemati”! And when you think, “Should I buy not two, but three kilograms of apples?”, choose three. Especially since you can make so many delicious things from apples for your festive table!
Recipes from “Lidl-virtuve” (“Lidl Kitchen”)
Baked Apples with Date-Marzipan Filling and Vanilla-Soy Yogurt
Ingredients for 4 servings
Apples – 4 pieces
Dried dates – 5 pcs.
Marzipan – 100 g.
Cinnamon – 1 tsp.
Almond flakes – 2 tbsp.
For the yogurt
Vanilla pod – 1 pc.
Soy yogurt – 400 g.
Agave puree – 1-2 tbsp.
Preparation
For the baked apples
Preheat the oven to 200 °C in the “top/bottom heat” mode.
Wash, dry, and remove the core from the apples. Important: the bottom must be closed.
Finely chop the dates and marzipan, mix with cinnamon and almonds.
Fill the apples with this mixture and place them in a baking dish.
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the apples become slightly soft and golden brown.
For the yogurt
Scrape the vanilla pod.
Mix its contents with the yogurt and agave puree.
Store in the refrigerator until serving.
