Feeding a sustainable future

FEED ME Surf Coast is lauding the community for their efforts in saving more than 325 tonnes of food from landfill during the past financial year.

Data collected by the food aid volunteer group suggested more than 1000 shoppers have been coming through the Feed Me market in Torquay each week to purchase food to stop it going to waste.

Each shopper picked up an average weight of 5.3kg of food each visit, with more than 5,000kg being taken in total every seven days.

 

Feed Me Surf Coast has volunteer drivers collecting food from supermarket and bakery partners every day of the week.

They also receive deliveries from Second Bite and Foodbank and fruit and vegetables are purchased once a week from the Melbourne Fruit and Vegetable market in Epping.

Feed Me Surf Coast founder Brooke Murphy thanked the community for their genuine care and concern for a sustainable food cycle.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.

“We are so proud of the community for doing their bit and helping us to help others.

“The statistics are pretty mindblowing, and it’s because of the community’s commitment to sustainability and rescuing food from becoming waste.

“When a community comes together – small incremental changes start to happen, and then monumental changes stay.”

Ms Murphy hopes Feed Me Surf Coast has helped to foster a greater sense of community.

“Feed Me has for some of us helped us gain what we feel had been lost.

“We’ve gained a sense of nostalgia of our simple childhoods, where people jumped in and helped out others – because that’s what Australians do.

“Our team has genuine and gracious compassion for our nameless faceless neighbours, whose hardship for so many reasons is acknowledged.”

The Feed Me Surf Coast market is open to the public six days a week at 7-9 Cylinders Drive, Torquay.