FareShare meals provide hope and reassurance to school families

Since 2020, FareShare has provided St Ann’s School in Redbank Plains with hundreds of nutritious meals to share during times of illness, crisis or financial strain. 

The school has a strong multicultural community and School Chaplain, Charles Mushosi, ensures the meals are available to support anyone who needs them. 

Whether it be dinners to assist a mother recently discharged from hospital or healthy meals to help a family recover from natural disaster, the partnership helps St Ann’s respond to all families in need. 

“The meals are offered to the families as one way we can help them,” said Katie O’Kane, Assistant Principal. “They are always met with positive responses of acceptance, humble gratitude and, quite often, relief! We can provide hope that with this one small action, somehow everything will be OK.”

The meals cooked by chefs and volunteers in FareShare’s charity kitchen in Morningside were a “godsend” to Karen Oudyn, a member of the school community required to rest after a back operation.

“The dinners from FareShare supported my family, alleviated the stress that I was already experiencing, and I was able to concentrate on my recovery,” said Karen. 

“By having the dinners from FareShare, I was able to support my family when I was experiencing the physical hardship. The meals were delicious, they were simple and easy to prepare, and most importantly, they were healthy.  I also appreciated that there was minimal washing up!”

St. Ann's students Tun'e (left) and Kiana (right) hold up FareShare meals with FareShare chef James Fien and School Chaplain Charles Mushosi.
Friendly FareShare volunteers plate up meals destined for St. Ann's School in our Brisbane kitchen.

Litea Maaf, a parent at St Ann’s, suddenly had a host of people to feed after the floods of 2022. 

“We took in some of the family who were affected by flood – three additional families living under one roof. They were with us for two months. 

“I had to find a way to feed 14 children, ranging in ages from two years to 15 years, three meals a day…They all had different appetites and the variety of meals were suitable for them to keep their tummies full during the day. It was so handy.”

FareShare meals also helped feed the family of school grandparent Sharon Knipe, who was managing a household of six while recovering from illness and unable to drive.

“The trust that we have built with FareShare enables us to provide consistent support.  It is such a blessing for our community to have an organisation like FareShare providing this service for us,” said Katie O’Kane.  

Help FareShare provide hope and reassurance to others here

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