The Winter Appeal comes as Coles and SecondBite reach a special milestone in their partnership, with the equivalent of 80million meals donated to Australians facing homelessness and hardship since 2011, including more than 20million meals donated by 200 Coles stores in Victoria.
To raise funds which help pay for SecondBite’s ongoing operating expenses such as fuel, transport and refrigeration, Coles will launch a fundraising campaign in Seymour over the next four weeks.
For every $2 donation card sold at Coles, SecondBite can provide the equivalent of ten nutritious meals for people facing hard times and homelessness.
Coles’ state general manager Grant Shelton said too many people in the community could not afford nutritious food for themselves and their families.
‘‘Our store in Seymour has donated the equivalent of more than 10000 meals to local charities like the Seymour College since partnering with SecondBite, and over the past 12 months, we’re proud to have supported more than 230 community food programs in Victoria,’’ he said.
‘‘By raising funds through our winter appeal, Coles customers can help SecondBite reach even more people experiencing hardship in local communities across the state.’’
SecondBite chief executive Jim Mullan said with recent reports suggesting four million Australians required some form of food relief in the past year while food waste estimates ranged between 5 to 8million tonnes, that there was more that could be done to rescue food and help feed those in need.
‘‘Since partnering with Coles in 2011, we have reached a significant milestone of 80million meals donated by Coles which is testament of how well our organisations work together,’’ he said.
‘‘Our relationship is based on shared value, and this is demonstrated every day as we continue to develop and strengthen our delivery of food to the most vulnerable.’’
By donating surplus food from almost 800 supermarkets, Coles has helped more than 1300 community food programs across the country and reduced food waste by 40million kilograms.
In addition to the $2 fundraising cards, Coles and Unilever have also banded together to support SecondBite by donating 10 cents from every pack of Continental Sensations soup purchased at Coles supermarkets in July.
