For the twelfth year running, Retail First has teamed up with All Purpose Transport to collect food donations across South East Queensland, to help OzHarvest address the increased demand for food assistance over the Christmas season.
This is the largest food donation drive in Australia, where the generosity of shoppers will support those doing it tough and help provide essential food relief at this time of year. From now until Christmas, donation boxes are located outside every supermarket in Retail First shopping centres, encouraging customers to donate a couple of cans, a bag of pasta or a box of cereal – any non-perishable food items that could help feed a local family in need during the Christmas season.
All Purpose Transport will regularly collect and deliver these donations and OzHarvest will distribute the food to more than 200 charities in Queensland to provide to those who need it the most.
Retail First’s Head of Marketing, Bec Gascoigne said that this industry award winning campaign has delivered more than 500 tonnes of food to Queenslanders during the last decade, helping those in need since the campaign’s inception in 2009.
“It is now everyday families that are struggling to put food on the table, and although this campaign does not solve the problem long term, it helps to assist OzHarvest in meeting the increased demand over Christmas,” said Gascoigne.
OzHarvest Queensland State Manager, Anthony Dunne, said the campaign will help OzHarvest support many local charities including emergency relief programs, community centres, domestic and family violence shelters and school breakfast programs.
“With so many new faces reaching out for help, there’s never been a more critical time to care for our neighbours experiencing hardship,” said Dunne. “Retail First’s food drives are so generously supported by the community, and help provide pantry staples that complement the fresh food we rescue. With demand for food relief at an all-time high, adding a bag of pasta, some tea bags or some tinned food to your shopping will help provide comfort and dignity to so many households during this season of giving.”
All Purpose Transport Project Manager, Belinda Polglase, said that this is a great campaign with a simple donation process – just buy a little something extra while doing the grocery shop and pop it into the donation cage located outside of the supermarket.
“Our business and our drivers really enjoy our participation in this annual food donation campaign and love to see the generosity of the community through the donations we transport to the charities each year,” she said.
Gascoigne added that one extra item of food goes a long way for families in need.
“We know that the ongoing generosity of the community over the past decade has been the key ingredient in making the food donation drive a success, and we ask our customers to once again consider donating one or two items when next doing their grocery shopping.”
Gascoigne encouraged family involvement by getting the kids to choose an item in the supermarket to donate.
“Perhaps hold a smaller donation drive with work colleagues or neighbours and drop the donations into the box in a Retail First shopping centre,” she said. “It is such an easy and inexpensive way to give this Christmas, and you will be helping directly a local family in need.”
Food items can be donated to OzHarvest at all Retail First shopping centres.
