FareShare’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) signifies our commitment to helping improve food insecurity for First Nations peoples living in remote, very remote, regional, outer regional, discrete communities and urban parts of Australia.
We believe that a RAP will support us to build our knowledge of, and respect for, First Nations history and culture and help us to develop that knowledge in both our staff and also our wider community of volunteers, stakeholders, and donors.
Our Reflect RAP has been officially endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, and can be viewed here:
We launched our RAP during NAIDOC Week (3-10 July) with two exciting events, one in Meanjin (Brisbane) and one in Narrm (Melbourne).
Our Meanjin event took place at our Morningside location on 6 July. It included a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony, Yidaki Performance with dancers, presentation of our RAP and custom artwork, and a First Nations-inspired lunch cooked by our amazing chefs.
Our Narrm event took place at our Abbotsford kitchen on 7 July with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony performed by a Wurundjeri Elder, presentation of our RAP and custom artwork.
You can find images of these events on our Facebook and Instagram channels.
FareShare respects and honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands where our charity is located and where we operate. FareShare is committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.
Jason Mollenhauer, our First Nations Officer, coordinates our meal program for First Nations communities and services from our Brisbane kitchen.
Jason was born on Wakka Wakka Country and has extensive family lines and connections in Meanjin (Brisbane) together with many years’ experience in community development and achieving outcomes with and for First Nations Australians.
“I am passionate and committed to improving food insecurity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in remote, regional and urban parts of Australia,” says Jason. “Poor nutrition and diet-related chronic conditions are responsible for a large portion of ill health experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Improving nutrition and food security are fundamentally important in ‘Closing the Gap’ for First Nations peoples.”
Jason leads FareShare’s work in supporting regional and remote communities where access to affordable, nutritious food is often limited and logistics challenging. He also coordinates activities closer to the kitchen, including our support of local community groups and services.
Meals for the Mob (MFTM) was developed in consultation with First Nations communities and services to provide targeted food relief in the form of free, nutritious and tasty ready-to-eat meals.
In late 2021-early 2022, we ran a MFTM pilot program in four regional communities in Queensland and Northern NSW for a 3-month period. The objectives of this landmark pilot were to:
– Involve First Nations communities and partners at each stage of program development, implementation and evaluation.
– Work with dietetic partners to develop master recipes that the pilot communities find familiar and tasty and which contain consistent and targeted nutrition.
– Increase access to nutritious meals, decrease food insecurity and contribute towards the improvement of diets and the mental and physical health of the recipients.
– Test ‘proof of concept’ for the development of an adaptive food relief program that can address the varying requirements of different First Nations communities.
All in all, the MFTM pilot program delivered 20,850 tasty, nutritious meals to First Nations communities and services, supporting families and individuals experiencing food insecurity.
Throughout and after the pilot, FareShare obtained feedback from community groups, locals, Elders, health professionals and other key stakeholders.
The consensus was that our meals were well received, the program was considered culturally appropriate by all First Nations partners and overall a major success. This was backed up by the fact that all four pilot communities elected to continue receiving deliveries of FareShare meals to help address food relief in their local areas.
We plan to expand our Meals for the Mob program in 2023. Stay tuned for updates.
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,
Distance no barrier to urgent meal relief Six thousand FareShare meals are now being enjoyed by the First Nations community of Mornington Island in response to a request for urgent assistance. In a logistical feat supported by Woolworths and supply chain Primary Connect, FareShare was able to reach the remote
Adding science to FareShare’s recipe for nutrition FareShare always strives to make every meal count nutritionally and is now applying science in collaboration with the University of Queensland to maximise the health benefits. Helen Truby, Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at UQ, says FareShare has an important niche in food
FareShare respects and honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands where our charity is located and where we operate. FareShare is committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.