Key role: Volunteers Roland Hunt and Harriot Stagg speak with FoodShare chair Jeremy Rensford about how the small volunteer organisation had to step up when a third of Shepparton residents were in lockdown in August 2021, cementing FoodShare as a critical part of the emergency relief effort in the community.
Shepparton FoodShare’s sixth annual Make a Meal of June charity dinner raised $75,000 as part of the official fundraising launch for the food relief organisation’s new home.
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Tickets for the event sold out, with 160 people attending the dinner at the Woolshed on Wednesday, June 1.
The Margaret Attwood Trust donated $20,000 on the night towards the operation costs of FoodShare, with the remaining $55,000 raised by community and other sponsors going towards the building project.
“We’ve recognised for some years the important work of FoodShare in the community,” trustee Alan Rossignoli said.
Committed: The volunteers and staff who make FoodShare possible.
“The $20,000 to assist in operations is very important for FoodShare and we think it is important to the community as well.”
But after listening to Shepparton FoodShare leadership’s preliminary plans for the new building on the land donated by the Andreadis family on the corner of Doonan St and Camp St, Mooroopna, the Margaret Attwood Trust pledged a further $100,000 towards the forever home build.
Mr Rossignoli said it was important for the funds from the trust to be used locally and support those in the Greater Shepparton community who were in need.
“I had a meeting with my co-trustee and we agreed that it’s important for FoodShare to have their own permanent home and we are excited to donate 100k towards the building project,” he said.
“It’s something as trustees we feel is important and we believe Margaret Attwood would have felt that it was a worthwhile cause to support.”
Make a Meal of June sponsors
The Woolshed at Emerald Bank, Diverse Builders, Triple M Goulburn Valley, Hit Goulburn Valley, Billabong Garden Complex, PRINTworks Shepparton, Kevin Hicks Real Estate.
The Federal Government has committed $600,000 in funding towards FoodShare; however, the food relief organisation still needs to find another $2 million for the construction of its new warehouse.
In the recent Victorian budget, the government did not allocate any funding for FoodShare.
FoodShare will continue to lobby for the Victorian Government to match federal funding.
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