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.”

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.”