Foodbank: Helping SA’s hungry
Posted 14 May, 2020
Jeremy Rochow
Bushfire victims, people living in their cars, and those who have lost their jobs and can’t afford food, are among the South Australians Alan Biss helps while volunteering with Foodbank – the nation’s biggest food-relief organisation.
Many great chefs have said food can bring people together in a way nothing else can, and for Foodbank volunteer Alan, this couldn’t be more true.
Since he started volunteering at Foodbank – a place resembling a general store or small supermarket for people requiring emergency food relief – Alan has met people from all walks of life.
Alan Biss volunteers with Foodbank. Image: Jacqui Way
“There are so many stories out there, and volunteering at Foodbank makes you realise how grateful you should be for what you’ve got, because many of these people, through no fault of their own, have nothing,” he says.
Visiting Lobethal with Foodbank, Alan spoke to people who lost everything during last year’s bushfires. One man he met lost his entire property and had burns all over his arms and legs.
“(This man) said his dog was on fire, so he rushed down to put the flames out and was burnt.”
After the fire, the elderly gentleman visited Foodbank’s Mobile Food Hub in Lobethal each week.
“Over the weeks, he has been in a better frame of mind,” Alan says.
“The bandages were getting smaller, but he’s got compressions on still.
“He was showing me the other day the tattoos he had on his legs and arms, and said once the burns had healed, he’d get one to remind him of what he went through.”
That’s just 1 of dozens of people Alan has built a relationship with since he started volunteering at the Foodbank Food Hub about a year ago, packing shoppers’ bags.
Foodbank mobile hubs
When Foodbank SA launched a mobile version of this service in 2019 to offer food relief in regional South Australia and areas suffering from drought or natural disaster, Alan started driving the truck.
The truck’s like a supermarket on wheels and currently makes regular visits to the Barossa Valley and the fire-ravaged town of Lobethal, serving about 50 people a day.
The truck’s sides flip up to reveal groceries. Inside, it has a 2-door display fridge and freezer for dairy and meat products.
Shoppers then walk around the truck selecting their groceries. Fruit and vegetables are free to promote healthy eating, while other items are $2 per kilo. For bushfire victims, the entire service is free.
