Rotary contributes to food relief efforts

BENDIGO Foodshare’s work in helping people eat better and live healthier lives has received financial support in the form of a five-thousand-dollar donation from the Rotary Club of Bendigo.

The club’s immediate past president, Dr Daniela Ionescu, visited the charity’s new $3.8 million warehouse in Golden Square to present chief executive officer Michelle Murphy with a cheque last week.

Dr Ionescu said the money was raised through the club’s Easter Art Show and reflected both the community’s generosity, and the tireless efforts of Rotarians and their supporters.

She described Bendigo Foodshare as a vital support system for nearly 13,000 people each week.

“Over the past year, this remarkable charity has sourced more than 770,000 kilograms of food, providing approximately 1.5 million nourishing meals for those in need,” Dr Ionescu said.

She said initiatives like Bendigo Foodshare “demonstrate the power of collective action and compassion in addressing the needs of those facing hardship in the community.”

“Contributions like this not only address immediate needs but also strengthen the community spirit that sustains the charity’s ongoing efforts to support those in need,” Dr Ionescu said.

The new warehouse was officially opened in August and triples storage capacity to a total of 1000 square metres, meaning the organisation can store 42 pallets of frozen food and 42 of cool room food at any one time.

This compares with the previous storage capacity of just 14 pallets in each category at the Long Gully warehouse.

The new warehouse can also store 132 pallets of non-perishable food, up from the previous 50 pallets.

Ms Murphy said Rotary’s contribution will have a significant impact, particularly because Bendigo Foodshare relies heavily on community support.

She said the donation was “invaluable” and would allow the organisation to allocate funds where they are most needed – buying food during shortages and covering essential operational costs like electricity and staff wages, and running costs for the delivery van and forklift.

Bendigo Foodshare recently reported that demand for food relief had risen by about 60 per cent over the past three years.