Leggo’s Pasta Sauce ease COVID-19 pains for Foodbank

Simplot Australia, makers of Leggo’s pasta sauce, are helping to address food insecurity through a longstanding collaborative partnership which will see them provide 85,500 jars of Napoletana pasta sauce to Foodbank Australia.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Foodbank has seen a 50 percent increase in demand for support from Australians, yet have also faced a significant decrease in supply of essential food items.

Simplot Australia Managing Director, Graham Dugdale, says like so many suppliers we have been running at capacity to respond to the panic buying and stockpiling behaviour we have experienced in the community.

“Our company purpose ‘to contribute to feeding our world’ has never been as important as it is right now. We are proud to partner with Foodbank as our values and work are so strongly aligned.”

“Foodbank are doing extraordinary work, particularly in these challenging times to provide nourishing food to the most vulnerable in our communities.”

The company’s collaborative supply project with Foodbank has been in place for eight years and has seen more than one million jars of Leggo’s pasta sauce provided to Foodbank.

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, says Leggo’s pasta sauce is one of our most requested products and knowing that it has been running off supermarket shelves in recent weeks makes these 85,500 jars seem that much more precious.

“It highlights the generosity of Simplot who have not only supported us day to day, but through drought, floods, bushfires and now COVID-19, we are thankful for their ongoing support.”

Foodbank helps vulnerable Australians access food and groceries, no matter what the crisis. Pre-COVID-19, the not-for-profit organisation was already providing food relief to more than 815,000 people a month, and that number is now growing by the day.

Help provide 1 million meals to Aussies in need by grabbing your favourite Nando’s meal.

20 May 2020, From this week, every time Aussies tuck into their favourite Nando’s meal over the value of $15, they will be automatically helping feed one of the many vulnerable Australians Foodbank support.

Nando’s has set the ambitious goal of donating the cost of 1 million meals to Foodbank by the end of winter, which translates to a whopping $500,000 contribution to Foodbank’s national food relief effort. The initiative is available nationally through takeaway, delivery and dine in (where available).

This new community-focused initiative follows Nando’s recent effort to support frontline workers, offering a 50 per cent discount to healthcare and emergency services workers across Australia.

Nando’s Community Partnerships and Marketing Director, Helen Reece said: “Providing more than 657,000 meals at half price to essential workers across Australia over the last six weeks has been incredibly rewarding. Nando’s is a purpose led business so being a good neighbour in our communities is really important to us. As the economic realities of COVID-19 start to sink in, we’re proud to be launching an initiative that our customers can really feel part of and will support the vulnerable Australians who are really feeling it.

“We’ve kickstarted the initiative by donating more than 18,500 meals, which is directly linked to the number of PERi-PERi sauce bottles we’ve sold in our restaurants through pick-up and delivery during the COVID-19 lockdown,” Reece said.

Foodbank provides food relief to over 815,000 people each month and this number is growing rapidly due to the impact of COVID-19.

Foodbank CEO Brianna Casey said: “One in five Australians have experienced food insecurity at some point in the last 12 months and this number is unfortunately likely to rise in the current climate. The support from brands such as Nando’s is vital in ensuring we can continue keeping up with the increased demand the pandemic has caused for vulnerable people requiring vital food relief.

“What we love about this initiative is that you don’t have to do anything different to donate – Aussies can just keep enjoying their favourite Nando’s lunch, dinner or snack while also helping vulnerable Australians.

“Nando’s has been a great partner of ours this year, already donating more than $60,000 for our bushfire relief efforts and we’re excited to continue working with them,” Brianna concluded.

Latina Fresh helps Foodbank fight hunger as demand spikes

20 May 2020, Today Latina Fresh Australia announced it will donate freshly produced filled pasta to Foodbank Australia. This equates to 45,000 meals and has been made specifically for Foodbank Australia. It follows on from a period where the brand itself experienced significant stock depletion, off the back of consumer panic buying due to COVID-19.

The donation also comes as Latina Fresh parent company – General Mills – enters its fifteenth year partnering with the nation’s largest food relief organisation.

This month alone, Foodbank Australia has seen a 50 percent increase for food security support across its network of charity agencies. In order to support this spike, Latina Fresh has produced to donate 60 pallets of Latina Fresh Spinach and Ricotta Agnolotti which will provide a well-rounded meal for families with some much-needed protein.

Peter Everett, Managing Director, General Mills, said: “The panic pantry buying we experienced in Australia significantly stretched our factory’s capacity to the limit. However, given Latina Fresh pastas are all made in Australia and in collaboration with Australian farmers and suppliers, we’ve been able to bounce back quickly.

“Our factory team have worked tirelessly to ensure we continue to create meals Australians love and we’re proud to be able to share more of that with Foodbank – by extending our production to make more Latina Fresh pasta specifically for Australians in need. While we’re donating 45,000 meals this month, we intend to continue to partner with Foodbank Australia to help fight food insecurity in the coming months and beyond.”

Brianna Casey, CEO, Foodbank Australia highlighted the issues Foodbank is facing: “Right now, Australia’s hunger crisis is at an all-time high. The demand has increased significantly, and we’re seeing demographics groups in need of food relief that we’ve never seen before. It’s challenging, and we can’t do it without partners like General Mills and brands like Latina Fresh.

“We thank our longstanding partners for their support, including Latina Fresh and General Mills – who have been generously backing us and supporting the community for the last fifteen years.”

KFC AUSTRALIA AND YUM! BRANDS FOUNDATION DONATE $160,000 TO FOODBANK AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, Australia – 26th May 2020: In direct response to COVID-19, Yum! Brands Foundation has announced it will be donating $160,000 to Foodbank Australia. The donation is an extension of KFC Australia’s (part of Yum! Brands Subsidiary) 15-year partnership with Foodbank Australia.

Food scarcity is an issue in Australia that has only been made worse since the outbreak of COVID-19. In this current climate, Foodbank Australia has already seen a 48 per cent increase in demand for food relief across its network, however supplies are down by 27 per cent. The donation from the Yum! Brands Foundation will support Foodbank Australia to feed those in need, by providing over 320,000 meals.

Michael Clark, Supply Chain Officer, KFC Australia said: “Now more than ever we need to support each other, especially as some are doing it tougher than others. KFC wanted to show its support by helping those who have been hit hardest, ensuring they don’t have to worry about their next meal for the foreseeable future.”

“Our mission is to feed those less fortunate in the community, and in this current climate never before has this been so important. We’re proud to continue supporting Foodbank and all that they do for Australians and are even prouder to have supported them in our 15-year strong partnership.”

In 2019, KFC supported Foodbank by donating over 14,300 meals to people across the country in need. In 2020 and beyond, KFC Australia will continue to aid Foodbank by helping with the distribution of excess food from its Restaurants to distribution centres across the country, as well as food shelters to feed those who are hungry and in need.

Foodbank Australia’s chief executive, Brianna Casey, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact across the country, with many Australian’s now having to rely on food relief for the first time.”

“We are so grateful for KFC Australia and the Yum! Brands Foundation sizeable donation and long-term support over the past 15 years. This donation will help thousands of families and individuals in our communities who are doing it tough right now.”

“KFC Australia has been a long time supporter of Foodbank, calling on all of their supply chain to join in the fight against food hunger by becoming national donors.”

KFC Australia and Yum! Brands Foundation thanks all Australians for helping to look after those in need during these uncertain times. For anyone that is looking to support Foodbank Australia, please visit their website or information and details on how to donate: www.foodbank.org.au

Unilever donates $1 million worth of hand sanitiser to Foodbank

Unilever Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) will start producing hand sanitiser locally as it redirects existing deodorant production facilities to help meet national demand and help in the fight against COVID-19.

To ensure Australians and New Zealanders in need have access to this highly sought-after product, Unilever will donate 150,000 cans – to its longstanding partner, Foodbank, to manage distribution across Australia and New Zealand.

Nicky Sparshott, CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand, said, “We believe we have a social, medical, and moral obligation to make hand hygiene readily available. That’s why we’re responding to Government calls to action to increase supply of essential products by rapidly innovating and re-directing some of our Australian manufacturing.”

In addition to the AU$1m donation of hand sanitiser, Unilever will also donate AU$1m worth of essential homecare, personal care and food products to Foodbank to distribute across Australia, including leading household brands Comfort, Sunsilk, Love Beauty and Planet, Simple and Continental.

Brianna Casey, CEO of Foodbank Australia said: “We are so grateful for this incredibly generous donation of much-sought-after sanitiser and other essential household items from Unilever.

“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 food, personal care and cleaning products are critical.

“Thank you to everyone at Unilever for your ongoing commitment to Foodbank which enables us to support Australians not only now during this COVID-19 crisis, and for the long haul.”

Ms Sparshott continued, “We know our brands can play a big role in bringing both hygiene and comfort to everyday life, particularly while we all spend more time than ever at home. Whether it be providing a nourishing meal for the family, or keeping the home clean, Unilever is proud to play its part in helping Australian and New Zealand families stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MESSAGE FROM FOODBANK AUSTRALIA CEO, BRIANNA CASEY