Help Raise $60,000 for Shepparton Foodshare

This year, Shepparton Foodshare has put a new spin on its fundraiser, ‘Make A Meal Of June’. The annual dinner event, normally held at a local function centre, was set to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 restrictions, however as the critical local food rescue service relies on its own fundraising efforts to operate, cancelling was not an option. It set about identifying a new initiative, and ‘Make A Meal Of June – Takeout style’ was born!

During June, Foodshare aims is to raise $60,000 to cover 50% of its annual operating costs. To kick off the campaign, The Freemasons Foundation Victoria, supported by the Shepparton and Numurkah Freemasons, have donated $22,000 to the cause. Freemason’s Geoffrey Thompson said, “We have a proud history of investing in our communities. Knowing that Shepparton Foodshare provides the equivalent of 600,000 meals annually, we believe this is a wonderful way to support people in need.”

This year Make a Meal of June will be held over two weeks from June 1 - 14, 2020 and there will be several ways to contribute to the campaign. The first is to purchase and enjoy a home-delivered meal from The Woolshed at Emerald Bank. When you order the ‘Foodshare’ 3-course meal for two from The Woolshed’s home delivery menu on June 5 and 12, all proceeds will be donated to Foodshare.

The Woolshed’s Angela Mangiameli said, “Having supported Foodshare last year, we are thrilled to be able to assist this vital local service again, and it is with the assistance of many of our suppliers, that we can donate 100% of the proceeds to Foodshare.” You can order via The Woolshed website thewoolshedatemeraldbank.com.au.

As in previous years, business and individuals can purchase a ‘Monthly Partner Package’. Shepparton Foodshare Chair, Rod Schubert said, “The packages are popular with businesses as it provides them with an opportunity to contribute to their local community whilst also providing a return on their investment via some great promotional opportunities.”

The third opportunity to support is by a tax-deductible donation made via the Foodshare website at sheppartonfoodshare.org.au. Foodbank's Australia's 2019 Hunger Report states that in the last year, more than one in five Australians (21%) have been in a situation where they have run out of food and have been unable to buy more. That is the equivalent of five million people. Rod, said “with demand for food relief continuing to rise and with the added pressures of COVID-19, our fundraising efforts are now more important than ever. We simply cannot continue to provide food without the support of our community and we are forever in awe of their generosity. It is when we all work together that we can ensure the most vulnerable in our community have access to nutritious food.”

Last year, Shepparton Foodshare distributed a record 317,000 kilos of food to emergency relief agencies, schools and churches. To deliver this community service, Foodshare is supported by more than 20 volunteers who combined donate more than 120 hours each week. In addition, Foodshare partners with supermarkets, business and other food rescue agencies state-wide to provide nutritious food from each food group.