Matt Preston throws his support behind food rescue charity

With cost of living a major issue this Christmas, Matt Preston has joined Coles to support food rescue organisation SecondBite

Matt Preston is urging Australian’s to get behind the Coles 2023 Christmas Appeal to support food rescue organisation SecondBite. Photo by Martin Keep/Coles

With millions of Australians dealing with food insecurity this festive season, Matt Preston has joined Coles to kick off its 2023 Christmas Appeal to support food rescue organisation SecondBite.

The television food personality has been a SecondBite ambassador for the last 11 years and is urging shoppers to back the appeal by either purchasing a $2 donation card or making a direct donation.

“I initially became involved because SecondBite would pick up all the food in the pantry that was unused on MasterChef, and it’s evolved ever since,” said Matt.

“It’s an amazing organisation dealing with two problems: one in terms of the amount of food waste going into landfill, and then the even bigger problem of food insecurity in Australia with one in three people concerned about where their next meal will come from.

“We know that many Aussies are doing it tough this Christmas, but we hope that those who are in a position to give can support SecondBite through the Coles Christmas Appeal,” he said.

Each $2 donation card will allow SecondBite to serve up 10 meals. Photo by Martin Keep/Coles

Each $2 donation card will empower SecondBite to provide the equivalent of up to ten meals to those in need during this Christmas season.

“I’m extremely passionate about SecondBite because their work is more than just about feeding empty stomachs. It’s about reducing food waste and bringing people together through food, and there’s never a better time to bring people together than during the Christmas holidays.”

Coles will also donate 2,000 Christmas hams to SecondBite, aiding charity partners in organising festive lunches for vulnerable community members across the country. Further support comes from Cadbury Australia, who has donating one million meals to SecondBite.

Funds raised will enable SecondBite to continue their invaluable work of feeding people in need by rescuing unsold edible food from retailers, suppliers, farmers and markets and redistributing it to more than 1,000 community food relief partners across Australia.

It will also assist in putting delivery vans on the road but also provide refrigeration at SecondBite’s warehouses for meat and vegetables and help the team of staff, volunteers to extend help to vulnerable Australians during this Christmas period.

Since the partnership between Coles and SecondBite was announced in 2011, the supermarket giant has donated the equivalent of more than 220 million meals to SecondBite, with 35 million provided in the last year alone. In total. Coles has raised over $37 million in 12 years for SecondBite.

Coles Chief Operations and Sustainability Officer Matt Swindells said Coles was proud to be raising funds for SecondBite.

“Coles’ annual Christmas Appeal raises vital funds for SecondBite so that they can continue to meet the demands of its food relief partners in communities throughout Australia,” he said.