The Washup - FareShare newsletter - Winter 2017

View this email in your browser

Issue 33: Winter 2017

Above: FareShare volunteers Jess Corbett, Roger Clarke and Chris Lee make headlines during National Volunteer Week. See story below.

In this issue:
More food rescued, grown and cooked
F areShare fights hunger in the classroom
Yes! We have a new warehouse
Plugging the fresh food gap for families in need
FareShare in the news
News in brief
Acknowledgements

More food rescued, cooked and grown

Chef Joss with our homegrown zucchini quiche mix

The financial year is over and the stats that matter are in! Last year FareShare cooked a record 1,174,314 free nutritious meals, rescued 771 tonnes of food, and harvested 28 tonnes of our own veg.

But we won’t rest on our laurels. We are already working hard to make 2018 EVEN bigger and with our new warehouse (see story below) and our kitchen gardens making headlines (see here), we’re off to a flying start.

FareShare fights hunger in the classroom

Above: A VCAL art student and teacher at PCLC

FareShare cooks meals to boost the learning potential of children whose lack of nutrition may compromise their education.

Vulnerable teenagers attending the Prahran Community Learning Centre (PCLC) are the latest recipients of regular FareShare meals.

“As a large proportion of our students come from severely-disadvantaged households or currently have no regular home, the service provided by FareShare is for some the first time that they have had access to regular nutritious meals,” explains PCLC’s Kirsty Hohenhaus. Click here for full story.

YES! We have a new warehouse

Above: Logistics manager Pat Lanyon can't wait to fill up our new warehouse

FareShare has made an exciting investment to get more meals out to people in need.

After a long search, we have found an ideal warehouse in Derrimut, close to the food wholesalers in the western suburbs where our vans collect the bulk of our food. And the first food is in! See story.

Plugging the fresh food gap for families in need

Above: One Boxes are distributed at Fawkner Community House

Imagine the difference a weekly box of fresh food would make to a family struggling to put food on the table.

Since launching in May, The One Box program has provided 10,000 boxes of fresh fruit, veggies, milk and bread to the value of $25 to families in need. Donated by The Fruit Box Group and delivered by FareShare, the boxes are making a real difference according to the charities which hand them out. See full story.

FareShare in the news

Above: FareShare kitchen garden manager Susie Scott with Dr Chris Williams and Les Baguley

Our novel crop of sweet potatoes at FareShare Kitchen Gardens was the subject of a 17 minute ABC Landline feature earlier this month.

The bumper harvest at our three kitchen garden sites has highlighted the possibilities of growing the tropical tuber in Melbourne. The trial planting was supported by partners Dr Chris Williams of University of Melbourne's Burnley Campus, Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre and kitchen garden partner Les Baguley. Watch here.

FareShare volunteers also made a big splash in The Herald Sun during National Volunteer Week. Meet our wonderful volunteers Roger Clarke, Chris Lee and Jess Corbett who share their motivation for cooking meals for the hungry.

News in Brief

Welcome aboard! Paul Conroy joins FareShare board
Senior corporate lawyer Paul Conroy has joined the FareShare board. Paul brings a wealth of experience to FareShare having recently served as general counsel and company secretary to Treasury Wine Estates. He has held senior roles with Fosters and Southcorp and spent nearly a decade with Herbert Smith Freehills. He is Chair of the Board of The Summer Foundation, a charity which seeks to change human service policy and practice for young people in nursing homes.

Winter Appeal
FareShare's Winter Appeal has raised enough funds for us to cook nearly 150,000 nutritious, appetising meals for children this winter. A big thank you to everyone who contributed. Please click here if you would like to add your support.

Acknowledgements

FareShare would like to extend our sincere thanks to the following for their generous support: Sargents Pies Charitable Foundation, Campbell Edwards Trust, Jack and Ethel Goldin Foundation, John & Betty Laidlaw Legacy, GW Vowell Foundation, Upstream Foundation, The Miller Foundation, Michael Arnold, Birchall Family Foundation Trust, Peter Smart & Jay Bethell, Six Degrees P/L, Tracey & Frank Cooper, Silberscher Family, Anthony & Michelle Mead, Gordon Brothers Charitable Foundation, O'Connor Duffy Foundation on behalf of Natural Selection Group.

Feed Melbourne Appeal
We also thank everyone who contributed to this year’s Feed Melbourne Appeal which has raised more than $630,000 to provide valuable grants to local charities, including those that distribute FareShare meals.

Run by FareShare and Leader Community News, the Appeal welcomed Newman’s Own Foundation as a significant supporter this year. Other major contributors included Woolworths, Sargents Pies Charitable Foundation, UberEATS and the restaurants and bars on the South Wharf Promenade. FareShare volunteers rattled tins at Bruce Springsteen’s Melbourne concerts, cooked sausages outside Woolworths stores and held their own fundraisers. We also acknowledge the 42 Melbourne schools which donated a total of 8.5 tonnes of rice and pasta to our kitchen.

Founded by One Umbrella, Jewish Aid Australia and the Pratt Foundation.