Foodbank SA Limestone Coast received a $15,000 donation from children’s charity Cops For Kids.
The funding will enable Foodbank SA on the Limestone Coast to give families $30 vouchers to shop at the Food Hub and send hampers to some outreach schools to distribute to children in need.
Foodbank SA Limestone Coast branch manager Lynne Neshoda said she was very excited when Cops for Kids committee member Senior Sergeant First Class Nick Patterson reached out to her about the Cops For Kids funding and said the charity was a “fabulous initiative”.
“We cannot thank them enough,” Ms Neshoda said.
“This will help families feed their children prior to Christmas and to have access to a dignified shopping experience throughout the Christmas and school holiday break when there is no breakfast programs or lunch programs running.
“These vouchers and hampers are being distributed by the schools through the wellbeing/school councillors and school breakfast coordinators to the families of the most vulnerable/disadvantaged children in their school communities.
“The schools are best positioned to identify and refer these children and their families for help.”
Cops For Kids has now donated more than $1.86m to 127 charities since 2007 and Sgt Patterson said the charity was always seeking ways to help children in regional areas.
“Speaking with Lynne about how they do things down here at Foodbank we saw there was the possibility to make a real difference to the lives of kids in the Limestone coast,” he said.
“So after we got together we came up with an idea, a voucher system that we would fund the vouchers so the benefit will get to the kids at the right time of the year.
“We are police, we have got jobs that are there to help people, most of us want to help people outside of policing as well.”
Ms Neshoda said Foodbank SA unfortunately saw an increase every day in parents struggling to feed their children and parents often going without food themselves to do this.
“The rising cost of living, particularly food and the rental crisis, is putting significant pressure on already struggling and disadvantaged families,” she said.
“We know it is only going to get worse and when someone living in a country town is 33% more likely to require food relief, we know how important a program like this is to the survival of our most vulnerable children in the Limestone Coast.”
Foodbank SA on the Limestone Coast is the largest food relief organisation in the region and has provided food relief to thousands of local people experiencing hunger from the Mount Gambier warehouse for more than 17 years.
In the last 12 months, Foodbank SA on the Limestone Coast has delivered more than 400,000 meals to people in the region who would otherwise go without.
The organisation works with more than 130 local charities, community groups and schools, including supporting 26 School Breakfast Programs, and works directly with those in need via the Mount Gambier Food Hub.
People struggling to put food on the table and needing assistance can call Foodbank on 8723 0287 to find out how to access help.
