THOUSANDS of dollars and kilograms of food were donated to Bendigo Foodshare over the festive season.<\/p>\n
About 3100 kilograms of food and $51,000 dollars will go to the food relief agency, and manager Bridget Bentley said she was humbled by the community\u2019s generosity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a hell of a lot to us and it really shows the recognition of our community that we have been going through such tough times,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had people being so incredibly generous choosing to donate money instead of buying gifts, that\u2019s happened within organisations\u2026 and we\u2019ve seen individuals do the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schools across the Bendigo region donated over one third of total food supplies, while the money raised will help fund operational costs for the charity and the purchasing of food into the new year.<\/p>\n
With items including Christmas treats like pudding and candy canes, and pantry staples, Ms Bentley said the community donations were particularly important during the gift giving season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt helps our community to share that Christmas joy in being able to give in another way other than just buying presents for their family and friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be able to make such positive contributions to the wider community is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Into the new year, the charity will be operating a mobile Christmas food pantry for people in need.<\/p>\n
On 4 January, the pantry will be located at Eaglehawk Community House, followed by Uniting Care in Kangaroo Flat and the Salvation Army on Mundy Street on 5 and 6 January, respectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity for people to make sure that they can get access to food,\u201d Ms Bentley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be in three locations across the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday handing food out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THOUSANDS of dollars and kilograms of food were donated to Bendigo Foodshare over the festive season. About 3100 kilograms of food and $51,000 dollars will go to the food relief agency, and manager Bridget Bentley said she was humbled by the community\u2019s generosity. \u201cIt means a hell of a lot to us and it really […]<\/p>\n