FareShare CEO Marcus Godinho has personally delivered the 250,000th free, nutritious meal to the LaTrobe Valley and Gippsland region.
Our Abbotsford kitchen has been cooking healthy meals for around 20 frontline Gippsland charities since 2013 and they have never been more needed.
Traralgon Salvation Army minister Janine Skinner said at the start of the pandemic she was seeing a lot of single, older gentlemen seeking food relief, but that had since changed to young families who had never sought help before.
“We are seeing a lot of new people seeking food. Middle class families with kids and single mums for the first time.
Recently, I had a young mother of three come in, just to talk. When she left, I asked if I could give her three or four cooked casserole meals and some tins of food. She was almost weeping when I offered it to her. She is an example of the new faces we are seeing.”
FareShare’s Gippsland program began after power company ENGIE partnered with FareShare to bolster the food relief effort in the LaTrobe Valley and surrounding areas.
ENGIE CEO Augustin Honorat said helping reinvigorate the LaTrobe Valley was a priority for his company.
“This milestone shows what can be achieved through enduring and innovative partnerships, meeting critical needs where we live, work and act for the future of communities,” Mr Honorat said.
FareShare CEO Marcus Godinho (pictured above) said the partnership had provided sustained access to cooked, healthy meals for many vulnerable people.
“FareShare is committed to delivering the next quarter of a million meals to these frontline charities and to continue supporting those in need in their communities,” he said.
