BENDIGO Foodshare celebrated its tenth birthday last week with a party at its home base as volunteers and board members past and present marked the major milestone.<\/p>\n
CEO Michelle Murphy said she was proud of the charity\u2019s achievements but was mindful there was plenty more to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are acutely aware there are many, many people in our community facing food poverty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut today is about celebrating what our community has been able to achieve in the past 10 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn those years, eight million kilograms of food have passed through our facility, that\u2019s 8000 tonnes of food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been able to rescue or source this from donations and other providers of food and get out to people in need and I think that is an amazing achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n
That effort was due to the support of partners and volunteers with Ms Murphy acknowledging their contribution.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the beginning, there were 20 food partners we worked with,\u201d she said. \u201cThat has grown to 80 to 100 partners now that help to get food out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also driven by the power of our volunteers and it\u2019s so wonderful to see some of them here today in their bright vests.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 500 different volunteers have helped us achieve what we have been able to achieve in the last 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
One person, in particular, was singled out by Ms Murphy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have to acknowledge, Cathie Steele,\u201d she said. \u201cCathie has poured her heart and soul into making Bendigo Foodshare what it is today.<\/p>\n
\u201cCathie was on the board back in 2014 and is still a board member today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Steele was at the celebration and said she was proud of the commitment of the volunteers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it\u2019s 7am and minus two degrees, or 40 degrees in summer, people still come and work and make the system happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the people of Central Victoria behind us, we can do what we need to make a difference. To the current volunteers, you make our system work and our community stronger every day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO Foodshare celebrated its tenth birthday last week with a party at its home base as volunteers and board members past and present marked the major milestone. CEO Michelle Murphy said she was proud of the charity\u2019s achievements but was mindful there was plenty more to do. \u201cWe are acutely aware there are many, many […]<\/p>\n