Global FoodBanking Network certification

Foodbank completed a week long re-certification profess with The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) in February.

Foodbank is one of 32 GFN member countries, only 19 of which are formally certified. The thorough process included a check of brand awareness, donor stewardship, food handling, recalls, advocacy, hunger messaging and much more.

We are thrilled to report that Foodbank Australia was noted to be ‘exceeding global best practice’ in many ways and that we have retained our Global Foodbanking certification.

Mobile shop taking food to South Australians in need

Foodbank SA, in partnership with ElectraNet, is taking food to where it is needed the most.

https://www.facebook.com/9NewsAdelaide/videos/622138038249689/?t=3

In a step away from the traditional model, Foodbank SA has launched its first Mobile Food Hub – designed to get food to families living in the regional areas of highest demand.

Foodbank SA Chief Executive Greg Pattinson said the Mobile Food Hub was the next stage in ending hunger in South Australia by delivering food to thousands of people who are in need.

“There are more than 117,260 South Australians who struggle to put food on the table each month. This method enables us to reach the ‘harder to access’ areas, where perhaps there aren’t as many services particularly where agencies are struggling to fund food relief services or where transport is limited making services harder to access,” he said.

“It is going to make a big difference for our Foodbank clients who don’t live in metropolitan areas or large regional towns, where the high need for food relief is great but where a permanent solution either isn’t viable or just doesn’t exist.”

The Mobile Food Hub has also been designed to assist families during natural disasters and support drought effected regions in the future. Foodbank SA announced today that ElectraNet was partnering with the organisation to ‘power’ the Mobile food hub and keep it on the road for the next four years, after the State Government provided the initial start-up grant.

The Mobile Food Hub is expected to travel to the Gawler, Barossa Region, Murray Bridge, Victor Harbour and Port Adelaide areas in the next few months. Murray Bridge, Gawler, Victor Harbour, Barossa area and Port Adelaide/Enfield have been particularly identified as being areas of great need with limited service or access to food relief.

Latest statistics show that key areas in need include Murray Bridge, Port Adelaide, Gawler, Victor Harbour and towns within the Barossa Valley, requiring an additional 68,000 meals per month just to keep up with current levels of demand.

“We know that in certain areas such as Murray Bridge the current levels of demand far exceed the food relief currently being supplied. At this point, only 1.65% of the demand for food relief is being met for those living in Murray Bridge,” Mr Pattinson said.

“In Murray Bridge we are currently providing around 158 meals per month but we know 9,583 meals are needed per month just to meet current levels of demand, so this is just an example of why we need to get to these areas, and how much value this Mobile Food Hub will be.”

Foodbank is Australia’s largest food relief and food rescue organisation. It already has Food Hubs in Christies Beach, Edwardstown, Bowden, Elizabeth and Mt Gambier, with community and Foodbank supported hubs located in Adelaide and Port Pirie. Foodbank also has warehouses in Edwardstown, Whyalla, Berri and Mt Gambier.

“We will work with agencies, communities, councils or government departments that have identified food insecurity and the requirement for food relief service in a particular location or region,” Mr Pattinson said.

“The Mobile Food Hub will work on a referral system to ensure those accessing the service are in genuine need of food relief and the food relief efforts are going to where it is needed the most in South Australia.”

Foodbank Agency and Food Hub Manager, Leanne Malek, has seen the need first-hand, and believes the mobile facility will make a substantial difference.

“We receive hundreds of calls each week with the request from individuals and the agencies we work with who either are unable to access enough food relief or due to proximity are unable to reach the services provided,” she said.

“This Mobile Food Hub will ensure we have the capacity to be more responsive to areas of need. This will be particularly important with areas of natural disaster or drought, unforeseen circumstances or where identified as high instances of food insecurity within a community.”

Food to be available from the Mobile Food Hub include pantry staples, healthy food options with free fruit and vegetables and meal packs.

ElectraNet Chief Executive, Steve Masters said ElectraNet was proud to be partnering with Foodbank to deliver the Mobile Food Hub.

“We’re pleased to be able to help power the state’s first mobile food pantry and provide assistance to delivering such an important service to our community,” Mr Masters said.

“The Foodbank Mobile Food Hub supported by ElectraNet will be able to operate as a stand-alone distribution centre in areas where Foodbank SA currently does not have a permanent presence.”

“It’s especially close to us because many of the individuals and families who will be able to access this service are in the regional areas, where much of our electricity transmission line network is located.”

The new Mobile Food Hub will be on display at Victoria Square at Tasting Australia during April. Anyone attending the event is invited to donate cans (or virtual cans) to help fill the shelves. Following the event, the Mobile Food Hub will be on the road to the first destination.

“We hope that all South Australians will get behind us for this service. When it is in your area we hope you can help us fill the shelves whether by donating cans or coins,” Mr Pattinson said.

Foodbank Open Food Hub in Christies Beach

The new Foodbank SA Food Hub opened in Christies Beach is helping to deliver much needed food relief to hundreds of families in the southern suburbs.

https://www.facebook.com/9NewsAdelaide/videos/229091127987122/?t=1

The opening of the centre aims to help with the huge demand in the region, with new data highlighting an additional 40,000 meals are needed each month in the southern suburbs to meet the current levels of demand.

Around 24,000 meals are already provided each month to suburbs within the Onkaparinga Council, including Christies Beach, Reynella, Hackham, Aberfoyle Park and Happy Valley. However Foodbank SA Chief Executive Officer Greg Pattinson said almost double that number of people were still missing out.

“Many families in the southern suburbs are really struggling right now to put food on the table. We have held three pop-up food hubs in the region, and each time we were stunned about the demand, and how much people really need a hand,” he said.

“Each of these pop-ups have exceeded demand. At the last Foodbank pop up held in Noarlunga more than 800 struggling South Australians were referred to access the free food in just under two hours. We know there is a huge demand in the region and, sadly, it is still growing.”

Mr Pattinson said the aim of the new Christies Beach Food Hub was to “get the food to where it is needed the most”. Other Foodbank Food Hubs are located in Edwardstown, Bowden, Elizabeth and Mt Gambier, with community and Foodbank supported hubs located in Adelaide and Port Pirie. Foodbank also has warehouses in Edwardstown, Whyalla, Berri and Mt Gambier to get food to those in need.

Foodbank is Australia’s largest food relief and food rescue organisation. The organisation’s most recent 2018 Hunger Report, released in October, revealed that a staggering 117,260 South Australians are accessing food relief every month – 27 percent of them children.

It highlighted that there was a growing need in South Australia, with 51% of the charities working with Foodbank SA reporting an increase in people seeking food relief, and that around 28% more food is needed to meet demand.

Statistics show in Christies Beach alone, 6001 meals per month are provided, with a further 6324 extra meals needed each month. Similar figures apply for surrounding suburbs, with Seaford and Morphett Vale both having identified needs of 7617 and 5044 extra meals per month.

“By opening in the southern suburbs, we are going to where there is clearly a need. It will also serve as an important link to other services and agencies who’s clients might seek support and advice, particularly at this time of the year,” Mr Pattinson said.

“The current and former State Government and the City of Onkaparinga have been outstanding partners in this, along with many of the community groups and volunteers in the region, and with their ongoing support, I believe the Christies Beach Food Hub will make a very real difference to families in the area.”

To access the Foodbank Food Hub in Christies Beach, attendees must have a referral voucher from one of the agencies we work with. The following agencies are currently referring to the Food Hub, including: Baptist Church Christies Beach, Anglicare Christies Beach, ADRA Morphett Vale, Church of Christ Brighton, Life without Barriers, Seaford Ecumenical Mission, St Vinnies or Housing SA.

The Foodbank Food Hub is located at 59 Beach Rd Christies Beach.

We take this time to thank our valued supporters who have contributed to the Christies Beach Food Hub:

Initial Grant – SA Government’s “Fund My Neighbourhood” program
Financial support – Onkaparinga Council
Introductions and design advice- Phil Winwood
Flooring material donation – Catherine Winwood “Interface”
Shelving and displays – PC Infrastructure and OTR
Construction works – Shape Interiors
Floor installation – Flooring Solutions SA
Gate – PLC Fencing
Fruit & Veg displays – Woolworths
Checkout counters – Romeos Foodland
IT setup, Computers and cabling – ElectraNet
Automatic Doors – Smart Solutions SA
Signage – Big Yellow Rocket
Painting – Tariq al Farraji
Roller door – Andrew Foti, Felmeri Group.

1 in 5 Children go hungry in Australia

This is Foodbank NT world first, live from Bakewell Shopping Centre with the Palmerston Girl Guides and master pancake cook and media presenter Peter Chandler, hope to see you here!

Foodbank hits bittersweet milestone of 600 million meals for hungry Australians

28 February 2019 – The year was 1992: Paul Keating was Australia’s Prime Minister, Boys II Men’s End of the Road was playing incessantly on the radio, summer Olympics were being celebrated in Barcelona, and Foodbank first started sourcing food for distribution to charities with one purpose – to feed hungry Australians.

Fast forward to February 2019 and Foodbank has just surpassed 600 million meals for vulnerable Australians.

To put this into context, in 1992 Foodbank provided almost 200,000 meals for the entire year. Now in 2019, Foodbank provides the same number in a single day, providing food relief to more than 710,000 people a month who are in crisis, dealing with the anguish and despair of not knowing where the next meal is coming from for themselves and their families.

Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, today visited Parramatta Mission, one of the 2,600 charity agencies Foodbank provides relief to, helping serve lunch to just some in the local community affected by food insecurity.

“We are so fortunate to have a national network of charities like Parramatta Mission, to help us get essential food and groceries to some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

“This is a milestone we never wanted to hit. Whilst I am incredibly proud of the efforts of the entire Foodbank family, our charity network, our food and grocery donors and our partners right across the country in helping us provide the equivalent of 600 million meals, this is a bittersweet moment. It is evidence of the scale of the hunger problem we have here in Australia, and the growing need for food relief.

Foodbank works with the entire food and grocery supply chain, rescuing ‘perfectly imperfect’ fresh fruit and vegetables; sourcing – and even manufacturing – the everyday essentials every family should have available in their pantries year round; and helping fill the tummies of children who would otherwise go to school hungry.

“With 4 million Australians suffering from food poverty at some point in the last 12 months, and charities reporting increased demand for food relief across a range of demographics, something has to give. We need urgent action on what has become a systemic problem in Australia, and in the lead-up to the election, all sides of politics can expect to hear more from Foodbank on this issue.” Said Ms Casey.