GFG sponsorship delivers much-needed help to community
21 November 2023
Volunteers from the GFG Alliance family have helped cap off another great year of support for Foodbank South Australia.
A crew of 10 ‘workers’ reported to the Foodbank Edwardstown warehouse during November to help pack more than 400 Christmas hamper boxes for those less fortunate in Whyalla.
This work is part of the corporate sponsorship provided GFG Alliance, and its LIBERTY Primary Steel (the Whyalla Steelworks) and SIMEC Mining Iron Ore operations, that also directly results in 70,000 meals for Whyalla residents during the year along with 2000 Foodbank Meal Packs for those in need.
We are thankful that a company like GFG is there to help us provide that support to its own community and people
Foodbank South Australia CEO Greg Pattinson
Foodbank South Australia CEO Greg Pattinson said the volunteer work was invaluable for the charity and a perfect way to celebrate the GFG Alliance sponsorship.
“We don’t have the staff to pack these hampers, so we rely on the help from corporates like GFG Alliance to get this work done,” Greg said.
“It complements the money we get from GFG Alliance that provides thousands of meals for Whyalla families while underpinning our operations and allowing us to continue providing essential food to people in the region.”
Foodbank has a warehouse and food hub in Whyalla as it distributes food through more than 80 charities and provides a free breakfast program to every school in the Eyre Peninsula city.
Greg said Foodbank was keeping up with demand in Whyalla, thanks to support from donors like GFG, but there was no place for complacency with the higher cost of living creating unprecedented demand.
“We have had some record days in recent months with more and more people becoming aware that food insecurity could happen to anyone,” Greg said.
“More than 60% of people being referred to Foodbank have full time jobs and more than 31% have mortgages.
“It is no longer the stereotype, we are helping more and more people including victims of domestic violence, people with children suffering illnesses and those that are simply struggling to feed their family with the rising cost of living.”
Greg said the support from GFG had a significant impact and direct benefits for the Whyalla community.
It complements the money we get from GFG Alliance that provides thousands of meals for Whyalla families while underpinning our operations and allowing us to continue providing essential food to people in the region
Foodbank South Australia CEO Greg Pattinson
“We see it first-hand … it is not just the food that is helping those who are struggling, it is knowing there is someone there to turn to when times get tough,” Greg said.
“We are thankful that a company like GFG is there to help us provide that support to its own community and people.”
Main picture: The crew of GFG Alliance volunteer workers celebrate a productive day of packing Foodbank hampers for Christmas.
What Foodbank does in Whyalla
- Supports disadvantaged children and families in Whyalla by providing access to food, including free fruit and vegetables and Christmas hampers
- Supports children, who otherwise could go to school hungry, with free school breakfasts via the School Breakfast Program
- Provides access to free meal packs, providing easy-to-prepare, nutritious meals to cook at home
- Addresses people’s immediate nutritional needs while also contributes to improvements in their health, emotional wellbeing, sense of self-worth, social relationships and overall standard of living.
Foodbank support for Whyalla by the numbers
- A total of 325 tonnes of groceries (including 125 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables) to 80 agencies and 30 schools in Whyalla and surrounding regions
- GFG Alliance sponsorship directly responsible for 36 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables and 70,000 meals for those in need in Whyalla
- More than 50,000 breakfasts provided to more than 1000 students in Whyalla
- More than 1000 meal packs distributed in Whyalla including a pilot food education program.
- A $7.4m impact for the Whyalla region.
Read more about GFG’s community support
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