Leader’s Feed Melbourne Appeal 2018 raises record total for grassroots charities

CHARITIES providing food for thousands of struggling Victorians have been gifted the largest donation to date, and it’s all thanks to our generous readers.

FOOD charities providing help and hope for struggling Victorians will share in more than $660,000 thanks to the Feed Melbourne Appeal.

Leader’s biggest annual charity campaign raised a record $664,297 this year, thanks to the generosity of our readers and supporters.

Now in its tenth year the appeal has raised more than $4.6 million and every dollar donated has gone to food charities fighting hidden hunger in our community.

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Feed Melbourne Appeal chief executive Katherine Gokavi-Whaley thanked major supporter Newman’s Own Foundation and all the individuals, businesses and schools that donated to the appeal.

“Without your generosity and compassion this would not be possible,” Ms Gokavi-Whaley said.

“The issue of hunger is a community problem and requires a community solution, which is what we are achieving, one meal at a time.”

She said she was proud of what the Feed Melbourne Appeal had achieved during the past decade, raising enough money for more than nine million meals through the distribution of more than 330 grants.

This year 60 per cent of the money raised has been distributed to 37 charities as grants of up to $15,000, while the remainder went to food rescue agency FareShare, which is the Feed Melbourne Appeal’s charity partner.

The Feed Melbourne Appeal has helped FareShare open Australia's largest charity kitchen. Picture: Supplied.

THE IMPACT

FareShare chief executive Marcus Godinho said because of Feed Melbourne Appeal 2018 funds they would be able to rescue more food that would otherwise have gone into landfill and turn it into more than 350,000 free, nutritious meals for people in crisis.

“Our ready-to-eat meals make a world of difference to the growing number of people doing it tough in Melbourne,” Mr Godinho said.

“We know that a hot, cooked meal prepared by our volunteers relieves stress and provides comfort and dignity at a critical time.

“That’s why FareShare meals greet desperate families when they escape domestic violence, helps bring disadvantaged teenagers into class and restores single men in respite accommodation after living on the streets.”

Mr Godinho said the appeal had been pivotal in establishing FareShare as Australia’s largest charity kitchen, growing the charity’s fleet of food rescue vans, building its volunteer base to almost 1000 Melburnians and scaling up production to 1.2 million meals a year.

“As well as fighting hunger directly, the Feed Melbourne Appeal has also brought an important message to our city about food poverty and food waste making our community much more aware about those struggling to put food on the table in our liveable city and empowering them to make a difference,” Mr Godinho said.

The Feed Melbourne Appeal is run by Leader Community News and FareShare, with support from Newman’s Own Foundation.

Warehouse manager Heidi Britz at Avocare, one of 37 Victorian charities to receive a Feed Melbourne Appeal grant this year. Picture: Wayne Taylor

THE GRANT RECIPIENTS

IF PROVIDING rescued food to more than 100 charities around Melbourne wasn’t impressive enough, Avocare goes the extra mile to help break the cycle of poverty.

It is a Work for the Dole provider, runs apprenticeships for school students and is part of a taskforce that co-ordinates food and material aid for asylum seekers on bridging visas who are struggling with cuts to support payments.

The Dandenong South-based charity has received a $10,000 grant from this year’s Feed Melbourne Appeal.

Avocare founder Trish Keilty said they would use the money in the next year to boost stocks of non-perishable foods, such as rice and lentils, which weren’t often rescued or donated.

Other 2018 grant recipients included the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Footscray, CareWorks SunRanges in Sunbury, Holy Fools in Lilydale, Endeavour Ministries in Endeavour Hills, Sacred Heart Mission St Kilda and Hartley’s in Prahran.

You can see the full list of grant recipients here.

For more information visit feedmelbourne.org.au

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