GFG Alliance volunteers pack Christmas cheer for Whyalla
14 December 2022
GFG Alliance has reaffirmed its commitment to community in South Australia with its continued support of the Foodbank charity.
GFG Alliance, through its integrated Whyalla operations, is a major supporter of Foodbank in South Australia and, in particular, the work it does to provide food to those in need in the Whyalla region. Foodbank is the largest hunger relief charity in Australia.
Part of that commitment is the opportunity for GFG to provide a team of volunteers to help pack Christmas hampers at Foodbank’s Edwardstown warehouse.
“The volunteers from GFG help spread that extra bit of Christmas cheer by packing these hampers”
Led by Community and Stakeholder Engagement Advisor Denise Sharp and Chief Financial Officer Sanjay Bhartia, a team of 12 GFG volunteers hit the production line and packed nearly 400 Christmas hampers that made up 21 pallets of festive cheer for families around the country.
South Australian CEO Greg Pattinson said the volunteer day on November 28 was Foodbank’s way of thanking a major supporting company while the extra labour never goes astray for an organisation that leans heavily on unpaid worker contributions.
“We applaud the fact a company like GFG Alliance that operates in South Australia, especially one that operates regionally, is prepared to put its hand up to assist Foodbank and support people in their region,” Greg said.
“It is a real partnership … our role is to help people and it is the support of companies like GFG that allows us to have a significant impact in communities like Whyalla.
“The volunteers from GFG help spread that extra bit of Christmas cheer by packing these hampers.”
The GFG support and the work Foodbank does happen all year round. With GFG’s assistance and through its Whyalla warehouse, Foodbank provides food to more than 50 families in Whyalla every day, including the long-term provision of school breakfast packs and the recent introduction of pre-packed dinners.
“It is about giving back and it’s a good feeling knowing we, and the company, are giving back to our community in Whyalla.”
Denise said the Foodbank support and the annual Christmas volunteer day was one of the highlights for her as an engagement officer at the Whyalla Steelworks. She travelled down from the Eyre Peninsula city to take her place on the production line.
“It really is something everyone needs to have a chance to experience,” Denise said.
“It is about giving back and it’s a good feeling knowing we, and the company, are giving back to our community in Whyalla.”
Sanjay thanked the 11 other GFG volunteers that made time to help on the day. He was one of those that left the suit behind in the Adelaide office and donned the high vis to help pack the hampers.
“It was a great exercise as everyone worked as a team to get these hampers packed,” Sanjay said.
“It was a great feeling to be doing this and seeing everyone drawing together for this great charity.”
Foodbank in South Australia is almost entirely self-funded and, as such, relies on corporate and community support. It buys in more than $2.5m worth of food each year to distribute and has donations of more than 1.5-million kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers. It supports more than 634 charities and provides food for more than 135,000 South Australians every month. One third of these are children.
Main picture: Sanjay Bhartia, Kate Clarke, Raquel Stankovic, Pavan Marri, Rebecca Knoke, Denise Sharp, Udesh Canagaraj, Alycia Saxon, Snehal Poduval, Rebecca Leahey and Payalben Rajput during their volunteer morning at Foodbank.
MORE PICTURES FROM THE DAY
