A new two year partnership with AngloGold Ashanti Australia will allow us to better support the Kalgoorlie branch and the community’s food relief needs. The much-needed funding will allow us to boost up our Everyday Food Essential Range, meaning the branch will have a consistent range of pantry staple items available to customers. The partnership has also seen us create an Emergency Relief Fund to support the Goldfields communities in times of emergencies such as floods, extended power outages and the like. 

“AngloGold Ashanti Australia are a valued an active local community partner giving back for the greater good. Their support is helping to provide dignity to the most vulnerable Goldfields communities.” said Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara.  

As a part of their two-year commitment to the Kalgoorlie Branch and the Goldfields community, we are collaboratively seeking to provide assistance where it is needed most.

Laverton and Mt Margaret were identified as areas which needed urgent assistance. Laverton, with its community of 900 people, was seen as the highest priority due to the size of the community, closely followed by Mt Margaret with a population of 50 people, which is located 50km out of Laverton and has no food and grocery shops whatsoever.

Thanks to AngloGold Ashanti Australia and the support of Compass Group and Team Global Express who provided transport, the two communities received much needed food supplies in December, the equivalent of 16,000 meals, which were delivered to the Laverton Cross Cultural Association who then distributed it too members of the community who needed the support the most. Future deliveries will be made over the financial year to the community providing them with a constant supply of essential items.

Together with AngloGold Ashanti Australia we will continue to work to identify and support the emergency food requirements of the most vulnerable people in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

Our single vision is to tackle the issue of hunger and positively impact the lives of community members in the region with lasting change. 

Logistically, travel distances are the biggest barrier to food relief in regional Western Australia, and for the Wheatbelt, Arc is ensuring that nobody goes without. 

Thanks to Arc Infrastructure, in the past five month alone, 730 food hampers have been distributed Beverly (10), Merredin (240) Northam (320), Wagin (80) and Wyalkatcham (80). Each hamper provides a minimum of 16 meals meaning that the food relief provided to these communities is the equivalent of 11,680 meals for those who may otherwise go without. 

Arc Infrastructure’s impact in the central Wheatbelt region spreads wider with their support of Foodbank WA’s nom! program which is a range of nutrition education and cooking programs developed to improve the knowledge, confidence, and skills of WA communities to support healthy eating, food literacy and help decrease food insecurity.

These nutrition and cooking programs are tailored to different age groups and demographics and discuss different health and life skills topics (healthy eating, shipping on a budget, meal planning, food safety and more). 

Thanks to Arc’s support, Foodbank WA delivered nom! sessions to 161 participants in under six months to kids, youth and families.

In these challenging times, Arc’s support is at the heart of our efforts, enabling us to reach many in the Central Wheatbelt region. “Together, we’re not just providing meals; we’re ensuring everyone has access to the healthy food they deserve. this partnership is vital, helping us continue our purpose to feed, educate, and advocate for those in need. Thank you Arc, because together, we’re making a lasting difference.” said Kate O’Hara, CEO Foodbank WA.

Arc Infrastructure’s support has enabled us to connect with the community as a whole and to build stronger relationships with essential organisations to ensure we continue to identify where the need is and to provide the necessary food relief. 

We couldn’t do what we do without your support, thank you Arc Infrastructure. 

The fact is that living in regional and remote Australia is widely considered more expensive than Perth across a range of goods and services. Food is generally more expensive in regional Western Australia due to vast distances and transportation costs.

Many regional areas are far from major distribution hubs, requiring long-distance transportation for fresh produce, meat, and other goods. Fuel costs for these journeys add up, and these expenses are passed on to consumers.

We are so grateful to our amazing partners across the State, which help to alleviate some of the burden of accessing affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food.

Thanks to our partnership with Southern Ports, and it’s very generous $25,000 of funding allocated to help fight hunger in the Great Southern, Southwest and Goldfields-Esperance regions, vulnerable communities received 655 hampers, which is equal to 10,480 meals.

“This cost-of-living crisis is decimating family budgets, those living regionally have been hit hard. We are so pleased that Southern Ports’ ongoing commitment will continue to support our vulnerable communities across southern WA. The positive impact of the first year of the partnership was incredible and it is vitally important that we continue to assist communities where we can. Together we are making a lasting difference” said Kate O’Hara Foodbank WA CEO.

Last year 371,000 Western Australian households experienced food insecurity, with many skipping meals or going whole days without food. This includes over 120,000 children who experience hunger on a daily basis.

Looking forward, our Bunbury and Albany branches will continue to provide hampers to the South West and Great Southern regions, and we will partner with Esperance Care Services to provide hampers further south into the Goldfields-Esperance region and surrounds.

We couldn’t do what we do without our valuable partners. Thank you, Southern Ports.

While the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on families and individuals has been devastating, many businesses have also been impacted greatly due to manufacturing, labour, logistical and transportation costs rising exponentially. This has meant that many of our donors have had to reassess how they operate, to ensure more efficiency and many, as a result, also donate less. One such example is protein products. The last two years have seen a dramatic drop, 66% to be exact in the amount of protein that is donated.  

To ensure a constant and consistent supply of fruit, vegetables, meat and shelf-stable items, we keep a very close eye on volumes of food that are donated so that we can bridge the gap where its required. 

With our customer base growing each day, last year we applied to the Department of Communities for a $500,000 grant to purchase additional sources of protein, creating our first Protein Supply Program.

Our amazing donors Inghams, DBC and Westpork, Harvey Beef, Craig Mostyn Group and Austral Fisheries who generously donate to us on a weekly basis, have in addition to this, generously offered us reduced rates to purchase additional protein at a discounted fee whenever they have excess stock on hand.

Thanks to our donors and to the generous grant from the Department of Communities, we have been able to keep up with the increase in demand we see across our branches across the state. We continue to innovate to create a sustainable and continuous supply of food that meets growing demand and ensures protein isn’t just a ‘sometimes’ food for our customers.

This community effort and collective responsibility means that the most vulnerable in our community can have healthy and nutritious meals available for themselves and their families. 

“As part of Sodexo’s Stop Hunger initiative, we are committed to fighting food insecurity in partnership with Foodbank and local NGOs. We are proud to work with an extensive supplier network that allows us to respond to logistical challenges and deliver vital support and services to remote communities. Our commitment is to improve quality of life where we operate and create lasting positive impacts, ensuring no community is left behind” said Adrian Lorenzin, Sodexo Australia Director of Supply Management and Tech & Services. 

The hampers were packed and delivered in time for Christmas, ensuring that families doing it tough could enjoy some treats during the festive season. Lucie, the primary contact at the Broome Youth Care Centre, played a pivotal role in organising and delivering the hampers in both communities.

Richard Kilbane, Chief Operating Officer at Hawaiian, said: “For over 25 years, Hawaiian has been a proud member of the Broome community through Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa. We understand that many Western Australians, particularly those in remote areas, face challenging times, especially during the festive period.

Through our connection with the local Broome community and collaborating with our partners, we identified an opportunity to make a difference and show our support and care for local families in need.

Small acts of kindness can lead to a greater ripple effect, which is especially meaningful during the season of giving. We hope this inspires more kindness and that we succeeded in spreading some extra cheer this holiday season.”

By coming together, we have not only provided practical support but are feeding change for families in some of Western Australia’s most remote areas.