Reflections on a massive year for FareShare’s First Nations programs
By Jason Mollenhauer, FareShare’s First Nations Officer
Well, what a year!
2022 saw many firsts for FareShare. We celebrated our first accredited Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), hosted NAIDOC week events in Meanjin and Narrm, expanded our Meals for the Mob program, responded to requests for disaster relief and distributed a massive 205,210 meals to First Nations communities and services!
Our staff also attended cultural training, and FareShare partnered with 17 First Nations services that further supported over 40 front-line services. And on a personal level, I got over my nerves as I gave talks at The University of Queensland, Northside Elders Gala dinner and the Medicine Management Conference.
Our meals travelled far and wide. We delivered meals to First Nations communities pounded by the flooding in northern NSW and in December we made our most remote delivery to date when 6,000 FareShare meals landed in Mornington Island (a distance of around 2,700km from our Brisbane kitchen).
I have also been on the road (and in the air) in my bid to seek the guidance of and learn about each community that we partner with. From St George in the southwest to Yarrabah in Far North Queensland and Mornington Island off the Gulf of Carpentaria, I have met some amazing and inspirational community members and leaders.
FareShare in Narrm ended 2022 by providing a special caramel dessert for the Aboriginal Advancement League’s Christmas Luncheon and FareShare Meanjin saw out 2022 by heading to Cherbourg with our RAP Working Group member Aunty Ravina Waldren to take Christmas hampers, FareShare meals and toys to the community, which is currently having an COVID outbreak.
While we can look back on the year and have so much to be proud of, we also need to look forward as there is so much more that we can do in 2023 and beyond.
Thank you to everyone involved in making these achievements possible this year. We couldn’t have done it without you.
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