After hearing about the devastating need for food relief in their local community, the team at Stockdale & Leggo real estate in Ballarat, decided something had to be done.
“We had heard recent stats regarding local kids going without breakfast or parents forfeiting meals so their kids could eat. The thought that for some people in our community, regular meals are a luxury didn’t sit right for us,” says Jessica.
Signing up for Uniting’s Food For Families program seemed like a natural fit, and the whole team got involved even encouraging other companies within their network to donate.
“We tried to get a good mix of non-perishable foods, some fun treats, toiletries and bathroom supplies for all ages,” says Jessica.
Jessica says other businesses should “absolutely” consider signing up to Uniting’s Food For Families program.
“Everyone deserves access to basic necessities,” she says. “We are all living through a cost of living crisis and this is where we also need to step up, and support those most in need in our community.”
Uniting’s Ballarat Emergency Relief Coordinator, Faith, says Stockdale & Leggo donated “fantastic everyday foods”.
“It was lovely meeting Jessica and Dan and accepting the donation,” she says. “Ballarat proved to be a small town when we discovered their children and my grandchild all know each other as school buddies.”
Faith explains that there are many reasons a person or their family cannot afford food:
“They come [to Uniting’s emergency relief pantry] because their pension is already spent and they still have days to go before the next payment. They may be newly unemployed and waiting for payments to commence. They may have been in a workplace accident and are waiting for Workcover to be approved or they may have just been hit with an unplanned bill, like medical or vet bills.”
Currently the emergency relief pantry supports 14 households a day but as the holidays and Christmas draw nearer, this threatens to be more.
“Christmas is a stressful time for so many people,” says Faith. “All the extra costs of food, gifts and travel place a real burden on people. Families with children find it particularly hard to cover expenses as no one wants their child to miss out.”
You can join Jessica by making a food donation help keep our pantries stocked and families from being hungry. Please consider donating to Food For Families today.
