Foodbank extended a big thank you to Costa marking the milestone of 2 million kilograms of produce donated for Australians in need. This equates to over 16 million serves of nutritious fresh fruit and vegetables to people who might otherwise have gone without.
In 2011, Costa was one of the first fresh produce companies to commit to assisting Foodbank on a national level and since then has become one of the food relief organisation’s most valuable partners.
As a result of the support from Australian fresh food and grocery companies such as Costa, Foodbank is able to deliver 166,000 meals per day to 2,400 charities and 1,500 schools for distribution to people in crisis. In 2015, Foodbank distributed 60 million kilograms of food and groceries across Australia, with 35% of this going directly to rural and regional areas.
Unfortunately, though, as demand continues to rise Foodbank is struggling to keep up supply to meet the need in the community. Hunger is a hidden crisis in Australia with over two million Australians seeking food relief at some point each year. Even more alarming than this is the fact that, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report, over a third of those going without are children.
“Donating to Foodbank not only prevents excess produce going to waste and landfill, but means organisations such as Costa can help make a valuable difference in the lives of thousands of Australians. For this reason we are very proud of our ongoing association with Foodbank and look forward to extending our partnership over the years ahead,” said Costa Group Chief Operating Officer, Mr George Haggar.
According to the Foodbank Hunger Report, the impact of food relief is both immediate and far-reaching. In addition to having their hunger addressed, people report longer-term benefits such as improved physical health, being able to plan for the future and feeling able to look for work or get a job.
For more information on the Foodbank Produce Program and to learn about how to get involved, you can contact Foodbank’s General Manager – Food, Michael Davidson on 0400 724 613 or visit foodbank.org.au.
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