You’ve helped us donate 15,584 meals to those in need

Posted 22 October, 2020 Ellen Morgan

Having finished up our inaugural food drive last week, RAA’s proud to have supported thousands of South Australians experiencing food poverty through the generous donations of the community.   As part of our partnership with Foodbank SA, the food drive began on 10 October, running for a week in both RAA shops and shopping centres throughout metro Adelaide. Donations were collected via collection bins in our stores and the RAA Mobile Food Hub.   RAA’s Acting General Manager Government and Public Policy, Sally Warner, says the initiative has far exceeded the team’s expectations. “It’s an amazing achievement that an incredible 311kg in donations were collected through our shops,” she says. “Our Mobile Food Hub also received 13,000 meal donations through its pop-up locations last week, and we were thrilled to see $6300 in online and cash donations from the community, too.” “These donations will go a long way towards feeding thousands of South Australians, especially in the lead up to Christmas.”   With RAA staff volunteering at the Mobile Food Hub throughout the week, Ms Warner says the initiative has been a great way for RAA employees to engage with fellow South Australians and educate them about Foodbank SA and the prevalence of food poverty in the state. “We were really impressed with the community’s engagement with the drive, and our staff onsite received great feedback from people about the initiative, which was lovely to hear.” While the food drive was held to coincide with Anti-Poverty Week, RAA hopes to hold another drive in the not-too-distant future, with food poverty in our state a constant battle.   “The RAA Mobile Food Drive was a great initiative during Anti-Poverty Week that highlighted the important work Foodbank are undertaking to support South Australians who are experiencing food insecurity,” says Foodbank SA CEO, Greg Pattinson. “It was so heart-warming to see the families receiving the food, particularly in Victor Harbor, where food donations were distributed to those in need within 2 hours of receiving.”   If you missed out on this food drive, there are plenty of ways you can show your support. You can still donate non-perishable food items at Foodbank’s Food Hubs around the state, or funds via the website. You can also volunteer your time. Check out our website and social media to keep up with the latest Foodbank news.