Meals for the Mob update: experiencing meals first hand

FareShare’s Meals for the Mob program aims to offer First Nations community groups and services access to free, healthy, culturally appropriate meals.

The program continues to expand, with its most recent initiative resulting in the commencement of essential food supplies and free nutritious meals, in remote Far North Queensland.

In a collaboration with several organisation and Aurukun Shire Council, thousands of FareShare meals will be distributed to the vulnerable people living in Aurukun, 800 kilometres northwest of Cairns.

FareShare meals will be stored in a refrigerated container donated by the Indigenous Futures Foundation. Meals will continue to be supplied to refill the container, which is now onsite permanently at the Cape York Peninsula community. This was made possible with the support of the NAB Foundation.

“The delivery of the container is the beginning of an ongoing relationship, and we are committed to providing the Meals for the Mob program well into the future,” FareShare’s First Nations Officer Jason Mollenhauer explained. 

“Importantly, we will work closely with the Council and community to build resilience for seasonal impacts,” he said.

Recently, FareShare delivered two pallets of meals to Mornington Island State School where the primary school students reported they enjoyed the chicken curry, savoury mince and spaghetti Bolognese.

“More than 23,040 meals have been provided and enjoyed!” Sam Huismann, the Education Engagement and Attainment Initiatives Coordinator stated. 

“The kids are enjoying the meals more now and are eating a lot more than before we had your meals. A huge thank you to all of you, and the volunteers there.”

Currently FareShare’s Meals for the Mob program has provided more than 80,000 meals to Indigenous partner organisations in New South Wales and Queensland, and as the Naarm Meals for the Mob program grows, we will be providing thousands of meals in Victoria too.

“Our focus remains on fostering local partnerships, and ensuring food security across diverse communities,” Jason explained.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, FareShare proudly hosted our first Naarm Meals for the Mob community cook-up at our newly re-opened Abbotsford kitchen.

Jason travelled from the Brisbane kitchen to Melbourne to be part of this incredibly significantand important day for the team.

Kylie and Deniece from the Aborigines Advancement League (AAL), Ava, Adna and Amy from Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and Natasha from Oonah Aboriginal Health and Community Services worked alongside Jason, FareShare chefs Emma and Lucy, and our regular volunteer Megan, to prepare food to cook an impressive 490 comforting and nutritious casserole and roast dinners.

As part of its ongoing commitment to its Reconciliation Action Plan, FareShare will participate in NAIDOC Week celebrations in early July, by attending an AAL luncheon, where FareShare will provide the entrée and dessert. 

FareShare is in the process of engaging with key corporations and donors to support the Meals for the Mob initiative directly or by booking a Meals for the Mob shift in one of our kitchens. 

Learn more about FareShare's First Nations programs

Read more of our news stories

Skip to content