Fresh donation for the festive season

A LOCAL supermarket chain has put their support behind Bendigo Foodshare’s Christmas Giving Appeal with a generous donation.

Champions IGA donated almost $8000 to the food relief agency last week through their Community Chest Fund.

Fresh food buyer Ben Reynolds said when customers purchased particular products at the Kangaroo Flat, Long Gully and Heathcote shops over the last 12 months, the money was put aside for Foodshare.

“This has been running for numerous years throughout IGA and we’ve been supporters of different communities throughout the lifetime of the program. This year we’re happy to support Foodshare with a cheque,” he said.

Foodshare manager Bridget Bentley said the donation was well timed in the lead up to Christmas and their festive appeal was a chance for businesses and the community to financially support the running of the charity.

“This support will help us to keep the vans going, the fridges on, the shed operational so we can continue doing what we need to do,” she said.

“We rely on the support of our community, including the business community very much so, and having those really important, strong relationships and partnerships right through the community.

“As a volunteer organisation and as a charity, we can’t survive without that support.”