Beiersdorf announces official partnership with Foodbank Australia

Following over hundreds of thousands of product donations, Beiersdorf pledges additional support to Victoria during the current lockdown

31st August 2020

Clynton Bartholomeusz, Managing Director of Beiersdorf Australia (left), and Brianna Casey, CEO of Foodbank Australia (right), launching the partnership at Foodbank NSW & ACT

Today Beiersdorf Australia – manufacturer of NIVEA and Elastoplast products – has announced its official partnership with Foodbank Australia, the country’s largest food and grocery relief organisation.

In 2020, Beiersdorf Australia has donated hundreds of thousands of products to Foodbank Australia, locally driving its ‘Care Beyond Skin’ program. Their most recent donation, just this month, is of over 50,000 personal care items, including hand sanitisers which will be distributed to those in need in Victoria.

Clynton Bartholomeusz, Managing Director of Beiersdorf Australia said, “For nearly 140 years, we at Beiersdorf have had ‘care’ at the heart of everything we do. Our purpose, Care Beyond Skin, not only expresses our passion for skincare, but it embodies our commitment to also caring for people and communities in need. That is why we are so pleased to become an official national donor with Foodbank Australia and support the important work they do.”

This is not the first time Beiersdorf and Foodbank have joined forces. During this year’s bushfire crisis, Beiersdorf donated thousands of products including Elastoplast essentials and NIVEA sun care.

Brianna Casey, CEO of Foodbank Australia said, “We are incredibly grateful for Beiersdorf’s continual support and generous donations of skin and personal care products, and are delighted to be welcoming them as an official national donor.”

“Thank you to everyone at Beiersdorf for your ongoing commitment to Foodbank Australia which enables us to support Australians doing it tough not only now but for the long term.”

Globally, Beiersdorf has pledged 50 million Euros as an immediate international support program to help communities in their fight against COVID-19 pandemic. It will team up with international organisations as well as local authorities to bring the support to the people in need. The global immediate measures are:

• Donation of 1,000,000 litres of disinfectant
• Donation of at least 5,000,000 NIVEA skin and hand care products to medical staff all around the world
• Direct financial support for NGOs, both international organisations as well as local partners of the Beiersdorf Group
• Beiersdorf commits to double any employees’ personal donations

Unique partnership takes insecurity out of the ‘surprise’ chain

11th August 2020

Foodbank Australia’s ongoing partnership with General Mills Australia is rethinking how companies can contribute and take some of the insecurity out of the food donation ‘surprise’ supply chain.

In a model that is unique to Foodbank Australia, General Mills’ Rooty Hill plant in Western Sydney will produce on average 10,000 dedicated meals of Latina ™ Fresh ricotta and spinach agnolotti each month, for the next year, for people in need.

Foodbank Australia Chief Executive Officer, Brianna Casey, said with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 being felt right across the country, the value of this new partnership is immeasurable.

“With one in five Australians already having faced food insecurity at some point last year, widespread unemployment and an economic recession have hit hard and fast for families everywhere. People are doing it tough right now and it’s partnerships like this Collaborative Supply Program that enable us to plan ahead and make every dollar go further.”

“General Mills are taking the proactive step to guarantee access to delicious, nutritious pasta for Australians who are struggling to put food on the table right now and for the year ahead, and we couldn’t be more grateful,” said Ms Casey.

Foodbank Australia’s General Manager – National Supply Chain, Michael Davidson, added, “This model allows us to move beyond important, but unpredictable products diverted from
landfill to a constant supply of basic essentials like this premium pasta product from General Mills.”

“We’ve seen this model operate to great success with other pantry staples and are excited to see this further extension of our partnership with General Mills come to life.”

“As a world-leader in this field, and the only foodbank globally to be driving a collaborative supply program with food and grocery industry partners, this really sets the standard for other manufacturers and foodbank organisations. It will have a tremendous impact on ensuring we can provide to those in need,” said Mr Davidson.

The program is a collaboration between Foodbank Australia, General Mills and its supply chain. While General Mills donates the time and labour to make the product, suppliers have generously donated the raw ingredients and packaging to dramatically reduce the cost.

Ferraro Dairy Foods, based in Tullamarine, is supplying the ricotta for the pasta filling. Ferraro Dairy Foods General Manager Brad Ferraro said it was important to help Foodbank during this difficult time.

“At Ferraro Dairy, we are always prepared to help families and people in whatever way we can. That’s why it’s great to be involved with this initiative and support people who are hurting in multiple ways.” said Mr Ferraro.

General Mills Australia Managing Director Peter Everett has called on industry peers to engage in similar partnerships to ensure a bigger impact on the community.

“We’ve created a template which people and companies can follow using resources and networks they already have to make an even greater difference,” Mr Everett said.

“It’s taken a huge effort from our staff putting this together and while it’s tough for our suppliers to make this donation due to COVID-19, we think it’s the perfect time to make that difference and be a force for good given the impact it will achieve at this critical time.”

“The chosen product, chilled, premium Latina™ Fresh Ricotta and Spinach Agnolotti, takes all of a family’s needs into consideration, being a great source of protein and quick and easy to make for a family meal,” said Mr Everett.

In addition to product donation, General Mills, through its Foundation, provided Foodbank Australia with a charitable grant of over AU$200,000 (US$ 150,000) to help Foodbank respond to the significant increase in community need for food staples due to the pandemic.

With COVID-19 causing new demographic groups to access food relief for the first time, it’s more important than ever to support the community.

 

Justin Dowling is Foodbank’s Hunger Hero for 2020

9th July 2020

In 2019, Woolworths increased donations to Foodbank by 50%, largely thanks to Justin Dowling, Woolworths Group’s General Manager – National Operations & Shared Services, who on Wednesday night received the 2020 Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Foodbank Hunger Hero Award.

“It’s been a real privilege over the last few years to work closely with Foodbank and further build on the strong partnership that Woolworths and Foodbank have had together for the last 18 years,” said Justin as he accepted the award.

The Award recognises a person or team who has gone above and beyond to tackle food insecurity in Australia and Justin has done just that, fortifying the Woolworths – Foodbank partnership through food donations, transport support and team engagement.

Food Donations

With Justin leading the charge, Woolworths’ supply chain team reduced stock loss by 36% and stock to landfill by 5% and grew donations to Foodbank by massive 50% last year. It was thanks to these efforts that Woolworths became Foodbank’s biggest donor in 2019 with a total of 1.6 million kilograms of product donated.

Not only was this a great achievement in the fight against hunger in Australia, but also for Woolworths as a business, and the environment. As Justin explained, “It’s about us making sure we’re using the food and our resources in the best way we can.”

Transport

Justin’s support for Foodbank goes back many years, and in 2018 he pioneered the Foodbank – Woolworths Primary Connect initiative. This program leverages spare capacity in Woolworths’ national transport network to move essential food relief donations to where they are needed most.

As a result, Woolworths is also one of Foodbank’s biggest pro-bono transport providers, delivering more than $500,000 worth of transport support each year.

Team engagement

Justin has worked innovatively with Foodbank to further engage distribution centre (DC) team members in the donation process, without whom none of these successes would have been possible.

Bright purple Foodbank zones have been set up in DCs as collection points for donated product, serving as an eye-catching reminder to team members of the donation opportunity.

Sites now also compete to be the annual Woolworths Foodbank DC of the Year by achieving the highest donation conversion rate on the Foodbank DC League Table. This was implemented alongside strategic signage that enables each site to track their donations vs stock sent to landfill throughout the year.

 

The Foodbank team are incredibly grateful for the work Justin has done at Woolworths to champion the fight against hunger and provide food relief to Australians in need. As Justin highlights, “Our relationship is not just built on food donations and transport, it’s built on our values. We care deeply about vulnerable Australians and we are passionate about sustainability within our community.”

Michael Davidson, Foodbank Australia’s General Manager – National Supply Chain (left), and Daniel Parsons-Jones, Foodbank Victoria’s Food Donor Coordinator (right), present the AIFST Foodbank Hunger Hero Award to Justin Dowling, Woolworths Group’s General Manager – National Operations & Shared Services (centre).

 

Woolworths and Foodbank team members celebrate the new purple Foodbank Zone at the Woolworths Melbourne Distribution Centre.

Leave no one behind

Vulnerable students and migrants from Nepal living in Australia have felt the full social and economic impacts of COVID-19. With fewer resources to support themselves during the crisis, many Nepalese students experienced the anguished fear of not knowing where their next meal was coming from, until Foodbank became part of their world.

 

Amit Thapa, Founder of the Friends of Nepal Association, reached out to Foodbank, and along with the Non Resident Nepali Association, more than 1,000 Nepalese students in Australia were assisted with food relief, including hundreds of Foodbank hampers. Funds provided by the Federal Department of Social Services enabled Foodbank to fill the hampers with quality key staples such as instant noodles, breakfast cereal, UHT soy milk, fruit cups, tea and coffee, tinned tuna and beans, and savoury and sweet biscuits. Hampers were topped with five kilograms of rice, ensuring it would feed a person for four weeks. Packaged with love and dignity, the hampers were distributed throughout the Nepali student community across Australia, providing much-needed relief at a time when they needed it most.

PepsiCo pledges $480,000 to Foodbank Australia as part of a global initiative

April 2020, PepsiCo Australia has donated AUD$480,000 to Foodbank Australia to help combat the devastating effects of COVID-19. Globally, PepsiCo has recognised the need for meals and vital resources during this time and has pledged AUD$72 million to help those most affected by the virus.

 

On average, nearly one in five Australians face food insecurity each year. Due to the COVID-19 crisis Foodbank Australia has experienced a 50 per cent increase in the number of people needing support over the past month.

 

PepsiCo is proud to be donating AUD$480,000 to Foodbank Australia, one of the country’s largest food relief organisations, to ensure it has adequate food resources to meet the upsurge in demand, while continuing to provide nutritious meals for those who need it most. The funding will help individuals and families now and in the coming months as we see the effects of Coronavirus.

 

“We’ve seen a sudden and significant increase in the need for our services due to the impacts of COVID-19. We’ve gone from 815,000 people per month in a ‘normal’ period to over 1.2m, a frightening statistic,” says, Brianna Casey, CEO at Foodbank Australia.

“Foodbank needs to scale up urgently to respond to the unprecedented increase in the number of food insecure Australians and help them for as long as they may need it. We are incredibly grateful to our long-standing partner, PepsiCo, for the generous donation that will help us meet this growing demand and enable us to provide almost one million nutritious meals to individuals and families in-need across the country.”

 

“Food is at the heart of what PepsiCo does, and we are great admirers of the amazing work Foodbank Australia and the New Zealand Salvation Army Foodbank do within their local communities,” says, PepsiCo ANZ, CEO, Danny Celoni.

 

“We also acknowledge the unprecedented demand drought, bushfires and now COVID-19 have placed on Australian food relief organisations this year. I am proud and grateful to be in a position where we can support them during this difficult time by helping our partners bring food to those who need it most.”

 

McCain chips in and reminds us ‘we’re in this together’

April 2020, McCain Foods announced today it will donate at least 250,000 meals to food relief organisations across Australia and New Zealand over the coming months to help support communities facing food security challenges during the COVID-19 crisis.

The contribution is part of McCain’s ongoing commitment to food relief organisations, its passion for giving back to the communities that have built the business for over 50 years, and the company’s core values.  As unemployment rates across ANZ continue to increase to unprecedent highs, families are now reaching out for support – putting pressure on charities that deliver food to families in need.

The donation will be shared between charities across Australia and New Zealand including its long standing partner Foodbank Australia, but also Fareshare Victoria, Second Bite Australia, Empower Australia, 0800 Hungry and Oxford Community Trust.

McCain Foods Regional President, Louis Wolthers, said that the spike in retail demand for frozen food would be reflected in the charitable sector.

“People have been stocking up with frozen foods in preparation for lockdown, and food relief organisations are no different, in that they also need a stable supply of frozen vegetables and meals as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic escalate,” Mr.Wolthers said.

“Given the scale of the need, we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to support these reputable charities, which provide such important support to our local communities.

“Our donation includes frozen vegetables, meals, chips, pizza and some Sara Lee desserts – accounting for more than meals. This certainly makes sense for us, and it’s something our people are proud of. McCain is hoping this donation will help to remind Australians and New Zealanders of the importance of staying connected. We’re in this together, after all,” Mr. Wolthers said.

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey said the donation will be well received amongst the many Australians it is supporting currently.

“We are so grateful for this incredibly generous donation of frozen food from McCain, one of our long- standing national donors who have supported us regularly through thick and thin. Foodbank has seen a 50 percent increase in demand for food and grocery relief due to job loss and small business closures across the country and donations such as these are critical to help vulnerable Australians now and for as long as it takes for our country to recover from the effects of COVID-19.”

The donations form part of a global response from McCain to the COVID-19 pandemic this year.

The Kids Shake partners with Foodbank

May 2020, The Kids Shake has partnered with Australia’s largest food relief organisation, Foodbank, to help feed kids in need.

 

From today, $1 from every Kids Breakfast Shake sold will be donated to Foodbank to ensure they can continue their important work in feeding Australia’s most vulnerable kids.

 

To launch the partnership with Foodbank, Belinda MacDougall, founder and CEO of The Happy Healthy Co (which includes flagship brands The Lady Shake and The Man Shake), is also making an upfront donation of $10,000, which equates to providing 20,000 meals to those in need at this difficult time.

 

As a self-made businesswoman and mother to two young daughters, Belinda is truly humbled to see this partnership come to life.

 

“This partnership is so important to me and The Kids Shake team because the thought of a child going without food, especially breakfast, is heart breaking. To help kick off our partnership, we have donated 20,000 meals to help Foodbank feed those doing it tough right now,” said Belinda.

 

According to Foodbank, children under the age of 15 who live in food insecure households often go without fresh food and may even go without some meals completely. More than 1 in 5 children in Australia (22%) experienced food insecurity in 2018*. Of these children, 18% have gone to school without any breakfast at least once a week and 9% of food insecure children go a whole day without eating at all at least once a week.

 

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said, “As a mother of two boys, I know how important a good nutritious diet is. I know without breakfast before a school day, children can get ‘hangry’, they lack concentration, and they get agitated. We know from our Foodbank Rumbling Tummies report in 2018 that children’s wellbeing improves significantly when their family receives food relief, they are happier, have more energy and their behaviour improves.”

 

The Kids Shake was created by Belinda because the lack of healthy breakfast shake options for children. Any parent would empathise on how difficult it is to get a healthy nutritious breakfast into your kids every day.

 

“Our business is passionate about producing nutritious food to help children live their lives to the fullest. Our products are more than just meals, they include essential vitamins and minerals for growing, healthy, happy kids,” said Belinda.

 

The Kids Shake is a healthy breakfast alternative full of vitamins, nutrients and protein to help growing kids. Unlike many other products in the market The Kids Shake is low in sugar and has less than 3.2 g/ serving.

 

*Foodbank, Rumbling Tummies: Child Hunger in Australia, 2018

 

MetLife Foundation works with Foodbank Australia to provide over 186,000 meals 

May 2020 – MetLife Australia and the MetLife Foundation will be working with Australia’s largest provider of hunger relief, Foodbank Australia, to provide over 186,000 meals (or the equivalent of over 100,000kg of food) for Australians, starting from July 2020 through to summer 2021. Pre-COVID-19, Foodbank Australia worked with over 2,400 charities in every state and territory to help them provide food to over 815,000 people a month. Since the pandemic hit, Foodbank has seen increased demand and estimate they are now providing food to over 1 million people a month.

 

In addition to the potential impact on people’s health, the COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous financial pressures on people across Australia, with government data showing a major impact on employment rates and wages, with an increasing number of people not able to properly support themselves.[1] Many charities in Australia are also seeing donations of all kinds reducing as a result of COVID-19, causing problems for their ability to continue to provide much needed services.[2]

 

Foodbank Australia knows that significant finanical donations can have a major impact on the Australian community they serve and estimate that the MetLife donation equates to $2.3million social return on investment. Social return on investment takes into account not only the immediate nutritional benefits of providing food, but also the contribution to improvements in health, emotional wellbeing, sense of self-worth, social relationships and ultimately overall standard of living.

Commenting on the donation, MetLife Australia’s CEO Richard Nunn said: “We know that many Australians are struggling during this pandemic and we’re supporting Foodbank Australia because  they are directly helping thousands of Australians in need. We know Australia will get through this current crisis, but it won’t be easy and some people are facing enormous challenges including getting access to something as basic as a nutrious meal. We also know that the pandemic will have a long term impact on people’s health and wellbeing, and we want to have a deep an enduring impact on our community. We hope this contribution to Foodbank Australia will help thousands of Australians get the nutrition and energy they need and make it through this current situation.”

 

Brianna Casey, Foodbank Australia CEO said: “Demand for food relief has increased significantly due to job loss and small businesses closures as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Foodbank has had to scale up in order to help many vulnerable Australians, some of whom have had to ask for assistance for the first time. We are truly grateful to MetLife for its generous support which will enable us to support those doing it tough now, and for the long haul. Thank you MetLife.”

[1] https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/C9E9F14708FC0AE7CA25855E0018F325?OpenDocument

[2] https://www.communitycouncil.com.au/content/open-letter-australian-governments-19-march-2020

Zurich Australia and OnePath Life support Foodbank with COVID-19 response funding

 

20 May 2020: Zurich Australia (Zurich) in cooperation with Zurich Insurance Group’s charitable foundation, the Z Zurich Foundation (ZZF) in Switzerland, has announced an immediate wave of community impact funding to support Australian and New Zealand charities in the wake of COVID-19.

 

The emergency financial support equates to an additional $1.43 million, which is being allocated to 20 different charities – some national, some with local, grassroots focus.

 

The funding is on top of the ~$2.28 million, which Zurich annually donates to its “hero” community programs, plus an additional ~$1 million donated by ZZF to various charities in the wake of the Australian bushfires earlier this year.

 

One of the largest recipients of the local allocation is Foodbank Australia who will receive $1 million.  The money will help Foodbank Australia source and distribute additional essential food and grocery items to around 2,400 charities around Australia, who are experiencing a spike in demand given the economic downturn associated with COVID-19.

 

Brianna Casey, CEO, Foodbank Australia, said: “Foodbank has seen an unprecedented 48% increase in demand for food relief across our charity agencies. We are seeing new demographic groups who have never had to ask for food assistance before and we know this problem will not be fixed overnight.

 

“In the past month, we have sourced more key staple foods than in the three years prior to COVID-19. Through our established relationships with the food and grocery industry, we can turn $1 into $6 worth of food, so donations such as these allows us to effectively and efficiently purchase food to support the many people in our communities affected by COVID-19. We are so grateful to Z Zurich Foundation for this incredibly generous donation which will allow Foodbank to continue to scale up and respond to this new ‘normal’ for as long as needed,” she said.

 

Linda Griffin, Head of Corporate Affairs and Community, said, “The intention of the funding is to help these charities navigate through the short to medium term issues arising from this crisis. Due to it, many charities are facing increased demand for their services, yet are challenged by a reduction in donations plus an inability to rely upon their volunteers in the same way, due to lockdown efforts.”