THE good work done by Warrnambool and District Foodshare and its case for ongoing financial support was showcased to sponsors and community members at an open morning yesterday.
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Held as part of this week’s Foodshare Community Appeal, the event at the volunteer group’s premises in the former Calco Mitre 10 building on Raglan Parade gave sponsors and other community members an idea of how Foodshare sources and distributes food to meet the strong demand from south-west community welfare groups.
Warrnambool Foodshare board member Don Swanson said he was surprised at the huge need for the service when he got involved last year.
The service supplies about 10,000 kilograms of food a month through free hampers to south-west welfare agencies such as the Salvation Army and Mpower.
It also provided tonnes of food each month to district schools for breakfast and after-school programs and to community soup kitchens.
While Foodshare was generously supplied with food by local supermarkets and Foodbank Victoria in Melbourne, it was holding a community appeal this week because it also needed funding to secure its long-term future, Mr Swanson said.
Foodshare’s present premises, provided through the generosity of South West TAFE, was only temporary and it also needed to find a permanent home, he said.
Warrnambool Foodshare executive officer Dedy Friebe said the annual cost of providing the free service was about $80,000. Financial donations to the service can be made at each of the three Coles supermarkets in Warrnambool, Ace Radio, the Archie Graham Centre, South West Credit, Fishtales Cafe or City Memorial Bowls Club.
Online donations can be made at mycause.com.au
Yesterday was also the first morning on the job for volunteers from the Commonwealth Bank’s regional and agribusiness centre in east Warrnambool. Staff have agreed to volunteer at the centre every Wednesday morning on an ongoing basis.
