You have filled lunchboxes
and fueled futures

As kids returned to schools this year, teachers noticed more empty lunchboxes and tired eyes than ever before.

But now thanks to you, kids like Eva’s* are starting Term 3 at school, ready to learn, with tummies and lunchboxes full of healthy, nutritious food.

Hunger should never be an obstacle to a child’s education or potential. And thanks to your incredible support, it won’t be.

Your kindness is providing essential breakfast items, so hungry kids can have a filling breakfast before they go to school. Your compassion is delivering fresh food to help fill lunchboxes, so kids have the fuel to learn throughout each day.

And your generosity is ensuring struggling parents have enough food to put nourishing meals on the table for their kids at night.

For mums like Eva* who can’t afford to put food on the table on their own, your support changes everything.

Thank you for helping stop hunger from following children into the classroom and for giving them the chance to dream again.

Thanks to your incredible support, children across NSW and the ACT are walking into classrooms with full tummies and big smiles.

You helped families put food on the table this winter

Local mum of three, Cheryl*, has been no stranger to struggle, sacrifice and making impossible choices. Every day her family – kids included – were skipping meals. They were going hungry. And so were thousands of other families. Until you helped deliver essential food packs.

Heading into winter, Cheryl shared her story with you in the hopes you would help feed hungry families like hers.

With your kindness, that goal wasn’t just reached. It was exceeded!

Together you and the incredible Foodbank community came together to deliver essential food packs to families doing it tough across NSW and the ACT.

Thank you for supporting your neighbours facing hunger. For bringing comfort, relief, and dignity to people like Cheryl when they need it most.

Each essential food pack provided to a family in need was filled with food essentials, fresh fruit and veg, protein-rich foods and the love of people like you.

 Celebrating the animals who bring us joy – and the people who care for them

At Foodbank NSW & ACT, our mission is simple: we are here to make sure that no one goes without food. Every day, we work tirelessly to provide essential support to individuals and families facing food insecurity. But over the years, we’ve noticed something heartbreaking. 

Many of those who struggle to put food on their own tables continue to put the needs of their pets first. 

Ensuring their furry companions are fed before themselves. It’s a beautiful testament to the bond between humans and animals, but the reality is, no one should have to go without food to ensure their pets can eat. 

That’s why we choose to support organisations like the Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC), who work tirelessly to care for animals in need. 

Located in Glendenning, BARC provides shelter to 135 dogs and 230 cats from several Sydney councils, covering a wide geographic area. It’s a vital part of the community, not only offering a safe space for rescued animals but also serving as a place where people can visit and adopt pets. The team at BARC is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals, and their efforts make a real difference in the lives of both the animals and the people who adopt them. 

Over the years, our relationship with BARC has grown, and, we’ve been able to donate a variety of essential supplies to help support their mission.  

From cat food and dog food to dog dental chews, shampoos, and worming tablets, we ensure that these rescued animals have everything they need to thrive while waiting for their forever homes. We’ve even donated cat towers and toys to keep them active and happy. 

In just the past few months alone, our donations have totalled over 5,000 kgs of food and supplies for the animals in their care.  

It’s incredible to see how these contributions have made a tangible impact, ensuring that BARC can continue to provide the highest level of care for their animals. 

Today, on National Pet Day, we want to take a moment to celebrate not just the amazing animals who bring joy to our lives, but also the incredible people in our community who make sure these animals are well cared for.  

Whether it’s the volunteers at BARC, our incredible suppliers and donors who donate pet supplies, or the generous supporters like you, we’re all part of a larger effort to ensure that our furry friends receive the love and care they deserve. 

We’re proud to stand alongside organisations like BARC to ensure that both people and their pets don’t go without. On this special day, let’s continue to raise awareness about the importance of looking after both people and pets.

Checkout our visit to BARC here!

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The difference between use-by and best-before dates

How many times have you opened the fridge after a long week, only to notice that your well-intentioned grocery purchase has passed the date on the packaging, and you immediately throw it in the bin?

This is likely a scenario that plays out in thousands of homes across Australia every single day, but did you know that in doing this, you could be throwing out perfectly edible and nutritious foods?

The difference between use-by and best-before dates can be confusing. We’re here to debunk some common myths and share our top tips on how to safely prepare and store your food, reducing food waste and saving you money!

Best-before dates

Use-by dates

How reliable are these dates?

Food manufacturers will often choose best-before dates that are well before when the food will actually deteriorate and spoil. This is to encourage you to eat the foods while they are fresh and at their best, meaning you should consider this date as more of a guide. Often frozen and canned foods will keep their quality long after their best-before date, provided the foods smells and looks as expected, it should be safe to eat.   

This is also dependent on how the foods have been stored, based on the directions on the product. For example, fresh milk must be refrigerated or will likely spoil and cannot be safely consumed regardless of its best-before date.   

Keep an eye out for products with a use-by date. These should never be eaten after this date has passed! 

Download our Best-Before vs Use-By Infographic

Food preparation and storage tips

1. Wash your hands with soap under warm running water for at least 20 seconds. You should do this before handling food and if you pause to cough, eat, touch your hair, or do anything that could make your hands dirty again, wash your hands thoroughly before resuming food preparation.
   
2. Thoroughly rinse all fruit and vegetables before consuming to remove chemicals, bacteria and any residual soil or insects.
3. To help with correct food storage, ensure your fridge temperature is at least 5 °C or below. The freezer temperature should be below -15 °C. When food shopping, try and collect chilled or frozen food at the end of your trip and take them home to store in the fridge or freezer as quickly as possible. You could also use an insulated cooler bag or ice pack on hot days or longer trips.
4. Leftover food that has been cooked should not be left out to cool for more than one hour. As soon as it has cooled, store it in a suitable food-grade container in the fridge, ensuring that raw foods are placed on the lower shelves below the cooked leftovers to avoid contamination.
5. Use separate cutting boards and utensils when preparing raw foods, ensuring they are thoroughly washed and sanitised after each use.  

Thank you for doing your part in reducing food waste. Click here to learn more about food safety.

If you or someone you know needs food support, please visit our Find Food portal so we can connect you to a Foodbank community partner in your area.

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