Shepparton Foodshare board chair Jeremy Rensford spoke with heart, humour and happiness at the opening of the food aid organisation’s brand-new, purpose-built facility in Mooroopna last week.
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Mr Rensford welcomed the crowd of more than 100 to the event that celebrated the community’s collective efforts to address hunger in the region 13 years ago through to its move into its new home on Friday, May 2.
“Well, who would have ever thought it was the early 2010s when a whole lot of us in this community saw that we had way too many people who were hungry, and what we understood was that a whole lot of different agencies were trying to feed people, perhaps by themselves,” he said.
“And then some really smart people asked what could we achieve together that we couldn’t achieve alone?
“If you fast forward all these years, what you see here is a result of that question and that dream.”
The new warehouse is the first home fully owned by Shepparton Foodshare since it was established in 2012.
It provides a secure base for the organisation to supply food relief and rescue services.
On average, 390,000kg of food is distributed to more than 100 registered emergency relief agencies, schools and other organisations each year.
The new site has increased its service capacity, providing more space where food can be stored, prepared and distributed, where donations are received and sorted, and where staff and volunteers can work safely and effectively with modern facilities, allowing for future growth and community partnerships.
Around 50 full-time jobs were created during the construction of the new facility, with almost 30 local contractors and businesses engaged to provide products, materials and services.
The new warehouse was funded by $2,918,970 from the Victorian Government and $600,000 from the Federal Government.
Contributions from the Margaret Attwood Trust and the Freemasons Foundation of Victoria went towards fitting out the facility, while the land was donated by local philanthropists the Andreadis family.
After a Welcome to Country by local Indigenous man Paul Cooper, who also spoke of Foodshare’s importance, having personally used the service before, Victorian Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes took to the microphone.
“What an honor to follow the passion of you, Jeremy, what a fantastic organisation. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday than in the Goulburn Valley,” Ms Symes said.
“I was reflecting earlier, there are so many people in Shepparton who wear multiple hats, so I know that there’s councillors who are also board members, who are also community leaders, agency leaders, part of the broader support for amazing organisations in Shepparton.”
She acknowledged the other MPs, former MPs and councillors present, including Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell, state Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe, Suzanna Sheed and City of Greater Sheppparton Mayor Shane Sali, while also making special mention of Foodshare’s acting chief executive, Cheryl Hammer, and the organisation’s dedicated volunteers.
“To echo Jeremy’s sentiment, this is like a family. This is a gathering place. This is a place to do good, and to feel good about it,” Ms Symes said.
Shepparton Foodshare partners with supermarkets, businesses, manufacturers, growers and other food rescue agencies to provide free, nutritious food for people in need.
Since 2012, it has distributed almost five million kilograms of food, or close to 10 million meals, across the Goulburn Valley and beyond.
Jan Phillips, the director of Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre, one of the more than 100 agencies registered with Shepparton Foodshare, where she also has a place on the board, addressed the crowd.
“I've worked in the community sector for many years,” Ms Phillips said.
“The growth of this one-stop food support service has been essential and phenomenal.
“Each week, I see a real and lasting impact by Foodshare on children and our community. I think of the young mother living in a tent in a friend’s backyard with her three children, aged 14, 12 and eight.
“With the help of food and meals from Foodshare, she's able to stretch her limited grocery money. It's more than just food, it's reassurance that a community stands by her.
“She told me that knowing food relief was available gives her comfort, even if she never needs to use it again.”
There are now an additional 50 volunteer opportunities available across warehouse roles and on the board.
The new site has more warehousing space, along with new offices and a meeting room, as well as a new commercial kitchen to maximise food usage and minimise waste.
Cooling and freezer rooms have doubled in size compared with the previous site, allowing access by forklifts to reduce manual handling processes, and perhaps the most welcome addition for the volunteers, a cardboard crusher.
“This new warehouse is a game-changer for our organisation,” Mr Rensford said.
“It gives us the capacity to store and distribute more food to more people and respond faster in times of need, so we can better support those who need it most.”
Together, Mr Rensford and Ms Symes officially declared the new site open with the unveiling of a plaque, before staff and volunteers facilitated warehouse tours and finished the occasion by doing what they do best, sharing food with guests.
Shepparton Foodshare’s new facility is at 7 Doonan St, Mooroopna.
For more information or to get involved, visit sheppartonfoodshare.org.au
Senior journalist