Here at the Centre for Hunger Relief, our Community Kitchen has been just that for Chef Grant Longman who has been at the helm for 10 years and together with an army of volunteers has helped to produce more than half a million meals since its inception in April 2015. Many happy and fun memories have been made here for the thousands of individual and corporate volunteers who have walked through the Community Kitchen Doors since they opened. 

Whether strengthening bonds during corporate challenges, or simply like-minded individuals wanting to make a little bit of a difference, our Community Kitchen has been a hive of activity each and every day with volunteers prepping, chopping, cooking and packaging meals that were made primarily from ingredients that were saved from landfill and donated.

Each Monday was like the ultimate Mystery Box challenge, or in his case, mystery pallet for Chef Grant who would have an array of commercial quantity ingredients from which he would create a healthy and nutritious meal. Sometimes this would mean that a lasagne would have a Mexican twist – with beans – or that his mushroom sauce was made from gourmet quality exotic mushrooms – not your standard white cup mushrooms – because that’s what was donated. From pizzas, to curry, various pasta dishes, soups, and even Patagonian toothfish – Chef Grant has cooked it all over the past 10 years.

In the space of only a few weeks, we have seen Ang pop up all over the state. From Geraldton where she was looking to make connections with some new growers, then down to Harvey for the Harvey Agricultural Society Show and so many places in-between.

Starting with Harvey – it was a wonderful opportunity to thank local donors, and to help promote our Mobile Foodbank service in the area. We were super lucky, the wonderful people at the Harvey Agricultural Show offered us a free-of-charge booth for the second year running. 

Ang, Jarrad and Michael continued to spread the love, travelling South to visit some of our Top 10 produce suppliers. It’s the first time they have all been on the road together to visit our suppliers to thank them in person and provide them with our new farm gate signage and certificates to show how much they donated over the last 12 months. Everyone was thrilled.

Thanks to Mineral Resources, Ang has a new Ute to ensure all visits out to the regions are safe and will make driving onto farms much easier in the future. Vinyl Wrapz in Osborne Park did the wrap for the Ute, making sure Ang will never go unnoticed on her long drives.

The Ute will enable Ang to do some of the produce collections herself too and be able to drop bins, pallets and crates off for donations to those farms we do not collect from – and it is also great advertising for us, you won’t be able to miss Ang out on the road.

We understand that walking into Foodbank for the first time can feel overwhelming – for a customer, especially a new customer, it can be filled with uncertainty, shame and fear of judgement. It’s a very vulnerable moment that takes immense courage and strength.

Often, a customer’s first interaction when they arrive is with a volunteer, not a paid member of staff, and it’s a job that all of our volunteers on the front-line treat seriously with compassion, kindness and patience. 

Sam has been a volunteer with Foodbank WA since the beginning of the year and seeing the energy that sparkles behind every smile, you can see why she is so popular with customers old and new.

Sam is between jobs in Administration and Customer Service, and after getting to chat to some of the volunteers when she would bring her mum in for her weekly shop at Foodbank, she thought she would try her hand at joining our amazing and diverse team of volunteers. Initially Sam was in one day, then two then three and now, sometimes five days – depending on how busy the Perth branch is.

Sam says that volunteering at Foodbank is a deeply rewarding experience that goes beyond simply giving her time. It offers her chance to make a real difference to the lives of people who are facing hunger and often, a myriad of other issues. 

“Each shift brings me a sense of purpose, knowing my efforts help provide meals to those in need. Volunteering at Foodbank brings me a sense of empathy, gratitude, and a stronger connection to my community. It’s inspiring to work alongside passionate volunteers and staff, all united by a common goal of helping others.” Sam continued.

Being in a front-line position and dealing with vulnerable and stressed individuals certainly takes skill and heart in equal measure.

“As a volunteer, I see how Foodbank as a lifeline to countless families doing it tough. The service it provides goes far beyond food – it offers dignity, hope and stability during difficult times. Every shift I do I witness the incredible impact the organisation makes, not just filling pantries but building stronger communities. I’m proud to contribute to that.”  

Something simple such as greeting a customer by their first name or simply asking ‘how are you today’ has the power to improve someone’s day. A volunteer’s smile may be the only smile that person gets that day. We (the volunteers) are all conscious of that and want to create a positive experience where we can.

“The gratitude expressed by our customers is often the most impactful part of my day. I am happy I can make even a small positive difference to someone’s life. I take pride in knowing that I can help a customer feel comfortable and not judged when they come here. In giving your time, you receive something invaluable in return – a renewed perspective and the fulfillment that comes from helping others in a meaningful and often life-changing way. It makes me value what I have.” Sam said.

Volunteers bring immeasurable benefits to our organisation, allowing us to expand services, reach more people and achieve our mission to Feed Educate and Advocate, without the financial burden of hiring additional staff. Each volunteer brings a new and fresh perspective, which both cultivates and encourages innovation and community engagement.

Ultimately, the true value of volunteers lies not only in the work that they do but in the spirit of generosity and shared purpose they bring – turning collective goodwill into meaningful action and lasting change.

A heartfelt thank you all of our volunteers past and present. We thank you for weaving kindness hope and heart into everything you do in our community. 

According to statistics from Allianz Partners, 74% of students are experiencing financial pressure and are increasingly facing shortages of fresh, healthy and nutritious food as they battle ongoing food insecurity due to the cost-of-living crisis.

To combat this growing crisis, Allianz Partners partnered with Foodbank Australia, the nation’s largest food relief organisation, to tackle this issue country-wide.

In July last year, Allianz Partners and Foodbank Australia launched the first international student food market at UNSW, one of eight activations at university campuses across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The partnership provides essential food supplies and raises awareness about the diverse faces of food insecurity.  

The first university food market day in WA was held at Murdoch University in mid-April and assisted almost 600 students. More than 4000 kilos of fruit, vegetables and nonperishables were distributed on the day. 

Foodbank WA experienced a 15% increase in customers in the last quarter compared to the same time last year – households are struggling, and it is no different for international students studying here, many of who are a long way from home and their support networks.

Back in February we were happy to receive a very kind donation of linen that was donated by BHP Western Australia and Compass Group AUS. 

This amazing donation of linen meant that we could offer over 74 of our agency partners great linen packs that certainly don’t come around often! With the help of Jason Windows who supplied the packaging and created a rotating roster of 2-hour shifts of their staff who packaged up all of the linen - an incredible total of 3,344 packs that have now been distributed to our agencies all over WA.

Fresh linen can make a profound difference in the life of someone who has none. For people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty, access to clean bedding is often a luxury out of reach. Sleeping on the bare ground or using worn-out fabrics or sometimes even soiled fabrics can lead to discomfort, poor hygiene, and even health issues. Fresh linen offers not just physical relief, but emotional comfort as well. It provides a sense of dignity, warmth, and normalcy – small things that many take for granted but are deeply meaningful to those without them.

We were so delighted to hear that the Perth Integrated Health Group, through its Communities Team and in conjunction with the NDIS, were able to distribute the linen to their clients, especially in the lead up to cooler days and nights. The feedback we have received has been very positive with recipients expressing their heartfelt thanks and appreciation. We have heard a number of amazing comments such as how soft and usable the products are to their daily lives.