With a mission of no edible food going to waste, OzHarvest has been diligently working in the Canberra community for the past 15 years, collecting and distributing food that otherwise would have gone to landfill. This week, they celebrated an enormous milestone, delivering their 10 millionth meal.

The loaded food truck rolled into the car park outside the Helping Hand Food Pantry and St Paul’s Parish Centre in Spence this morning, Wednesday 19 July. OzHarvest team members greeted those from the pantry, and they got to work moving crates of fruit, vegetables, perishables and pantry staples into the building. Inside was a cake to celebrate the day, donated, of course. Belinda Barnier, OzHarvest Canberra City manager, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There’s plenty of food out there if it is distributed equally and we value food for what it truly is, it’s nourishment … The ultimate goal is no food goes to waste and everybody has a nourishing meal and they know how to cook for themselves and have choices,” says Ms Barnier.

Understanding the importance of relationships and working together, she says the success isn’t that of just OzHarvest but of the suppliers and organisations they work with as well.

“10 million meals is significant because it means we have been working closely with all the agencies and charities in Canberra. It means there is a need and we’re fulfilling part of that need and rescuing food from going to landfill,” she says.

The contribution to the food pantry at St Paul’s goes towards filling the fridges and pantries of hungry Northside families. Only open one day a week for just three hours, in that time they feed between 50 and 60 households, ranging from those living alone to households of up to ten people. The coordinator of the food pantry, Robyn Wall, is grateful for all the help they have received through OzHarvest Canberra.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be part of something so exciting; I can’t even get my head around how big 10 million meals actually are. You think about the average household – three meals a day, seven days a week and you do the multiplication, that is so many households that have been fed and supported,” says Ms Wall.

One of the things that sets OzHarvest apart from other food delivery programs is its inclusion of fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy. Ms Wall says that fresh produce is an important part of a balanced and nourishing meal.

“One of the things about people whose money doesn’t go quite far enough to feed the family all the time is the need for high-quality food that actually is nourishing and provides them with the vitamins they need,” she says.  

Reaching their limit on how much food they can deliver, OzHarvest is in desperate need of more funding to continue helping the Canberra community. While they have a number of fundraising efforts on the go, they are always looking for more support and ideas.

“There’s more we can do; I’m seeking assistance from our local community on how we can improve what we’re doing,” says Ms Barnier.

To find out how you can help feed Canberra’s hungry, head to the OzHarvest Canberra website.

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