Nine groupings registered locally are benefitting from Aldi Community Grants.
The programme helps to fund charities and community organisations which contribute vital work and service within their respective communities with each chosen by employees of the retail chain which operates nine outlets across the two counties.
This year, Kilkenny crews have selected New Ross SPCA, Waterford Animal Welfare, Kilkenny SPCA and Droichead Family Resource Centre in Callan as well as city based The Good Shepherd Centre.
While in Carlow, victors are St. Fiaccs House For Elderly, Forward Steps in Tullow, Make a Wish and Borris Vocational School.
Each gets €500.
It means, by the end of this year donations totaling €615,000 will have been made to about 1,000 entities across the country.
Added to that the local stores have between them donated 113,000 meals through a partnership with FoodCloud.
