The Sunshine Coast has some of the most generous suburbs in the state, with grocery shoppers helping to put food on the table for vulnerable Australians.
Residents in and around Caloundra and Pacific Paradise were among the highest fundraisers in Queensland during Coles’ annual Winter Appeal.
The appeal, for national food rescue organisation SecondBite, raised more than $1.6 million nationwide.
Demand for food services has surged in the past 18 months, with research revealing three out of four food charities were experiencing higher demand for their services, even before the latest round of lockdowns in some states.
Top fundraising Coles supermarkets in Queensland
- 1. The Pines
- 2. Caloundra
- 3. North Shore (Pacific Paradise)
- 4. Albany Creek
- 5. Logan Central
SecondBite Ambassador and Board Director Matt Preston said the generosity of Coles and its customers was truly humbling, particularly in testing times.
“So many people are under pressure at the moment and yet Coles’ customers and team members still dug deep for others and did their bit to ensure Australians aren’t going hungry,” he said.
“The money raised this winter will help SecondBite deliver the equivalent of nearly 8.5 million meals to people in need, including Australians who are grappling with unemployment, under-employment and homelessness.”
“2021 has been a tremendously challenging year for so many Australians and SecondBite could not have met the resultant increase in demand for food support without the backing of the entire Coles team.”
Follow us on Facebook:Â www.facebook.com/scnews2020/
Like stories that inform, connect and celebrate the Sunshine Coast? So do we. Join an independent local news revolution by subscribing to our free daily news feed: Go to SUBSCRIBE at top of this article to register.
Coles CEO Steven Cain said he was proud of the way customers and team members had got behind the Winter Appeal for SecondBite.
“We are so grateful for the generosity Coles’ customers and team members have demonstrated for this very worthy appeal especially at a time when so many communities were under tough COVID19 restrictions,” he said.
“SecondBite’s important work of collecting and redistributing food for vulnerable people aligns powerfully with our purpose to sustainably feed all Australians to help them lead healthier, happier lives.”
“In the 10 years since we first partnered with SecondBite, Coles has helped to deliver the equivalent of 151 million meals to Australians in need and this partnership is essential to our ambition of Together to zero hunger as set out in our recently released Sustainability Strategy.”
In the past year, almost 850 Coles supermarkets and distribution centres across Australia donated leftover edible food via SecondBite to around 1300 community groups that provide meals to Aussies in need.
