Mary gives regularly to our Food For Families program and has done so for almost five years.
“There are people out there doing it really tough right now,” she said. “We need to band together and show our support.”
Mary has donated food items to us, which we pass on to our Emergency Relief centres who help individuals and families in need.
One Christmas, Mary began collecting food because she realised that despite it being the time of year for giving, many people would still be missing out.
“I realised it wasn’t just something that needed to be done at Christmas, so I started doing it all through the year,” she said.
“People don’t just struggle at Christmas time. Especially now with the rising cost of living.”
Mary is in the habit of buying an extra tin of tomatoes, can of soup or packet of pasta with her weekly shop and gradually fills her Food For Families box.
“I just have that box in the corner, near the pantry, and pop something in every time I do my shopping. It accumulates,” she said.
“Even if you can contribute a tin a week. Just purchasing an extra tin of fruit or a bottle of pasta sauce helps. You would be surprised it all adds up.”
Mary’s kind thought for others has inspired her own family.
“The second year I did [Food For Families], I had my nieces over. I said to the girls, I’m just going to pop to the shops and get some lunch for us, but I also want to get some food for the box,” she said.
“I explained to them there are people in our neighbourhood who can’t always afford to go out and buy groceries, so let’s help them. The girls were amazing. They each had a basket and were helping to collect non-perishable items.”
Mary believes that Food For Families can be a great way to educate children about issues in their local area.
“Children from a young age can start noticing and understanding that there are people out there who can’t afford things,” she said.
Register now for Food For Families.
