Foodbank WA Annual Report 2023

Our commitment to rescuing surplus or imperfect produce and redirecting it to those in need has seen us expand our network of suppliers, which includes farmers, fresh producers, retailers and manufacturers. Instead of letting perfectly good food end up in landfills, we’re making sure it goes to people who need it most.

With the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on families, the demand for our services has skyrocketed. Thankfully our partners in the food and grocery industry stepped up in a big way, increasing their donations by a remarkable 15% this financial year.

When it comes to the food we provide, nutrition is our top priority. Two-thirds of our donations consist of fresh produce and staples, 16% are chilled items and 10% are frozen goods. Sweets and drinks make up less than 5% as we focus on delivering balanced and nutritious meals.

But it is more than food. Thanks to our generous donors we offer a range of other grocery items including nappies, pet food, cleaning and personal hygiene products.

Get some pork on your fork

For six incredible years, our partnership with Westpork and the Dardanup Butchering Company has been a game-changer. Thousands of our customers now enjoy a variety of pork products, from sausages to mince, diced pork, roasts and chops, boosting essential protein intake.

Read how this partnership helps our customers get their protein requirements

Hello to fresh produce

Every Tuesday, our truck rolls up to the Hello Fresh warehouse to gather their generous donations. In fact, Hello Fresh produce now takes centre stage in our Mobile Foodbank hampers and fresh produce packs, making up most of these popular staples for many households balancing a budget without forgoing fresh, healthy foods.

Read how Hello Fresh has used this successful partnership to become a national donor

Colder than Antarctica – how we extend food’s lifespan

It is a mammoth task to process the incoming food donations of over 400 tonnes each month. This requires us to decide where stock moves to, whether to store in the freezer or distribute to our branches and Mobile Foodbanks.

Our freezers hold 396 pallets or 250 tonnes of food and is kept at a baltic -18°C. The total volume is equivalent to 27 London double-decker buses and every kilo is critical to ensure our ongoing food supply.

Read how we maintain the cold chain process

A special thanks to our major food donors

We are grateful to our local and national food donors who remain committed to reducing hunger and food waste by donating their surplus stock to us.

We’re on a mission to empower people with the knowledge and skills to improve their health outcomes. Our nutrition education and cooking programs, led by qualified nutritionists and dietitians, are all about evidence-based, long-lasting healthy habits.

This year, we launched our new recipe book, Healthy Tucker. It offers balanced meals with a focus on canned and frozen fruits and veggies to make nutritious eating affordable and accessible, whether you’re in the city or out in remote Western Australia.

Teaching school students how to make healthy food choices

We believe teaching kids about food from an early age can help them make healthy choices for life. Our Food Sensations® for Schools program provided interactive hands-on nutrition sessions before students learnt how to cook age-appropriate easy and healthy meals.

We worked with schools across Perth, Kimberley, Great Southern and the Southwest to empower 1,794 students to cook healthy and tasty meals while learning about nutrition through our Superhero Foods® characters.

“I had so much fun helping the kids when you came to do the Food Sensations workshop at my kids’ school. Being a mum of 5 kids from ages 5-13, they all have different tastes and getting them to try new things can be difficult (as any parent would know). They even let my 5 year old daughter join in, she had so much fun cutting up the veggies and doing the measurements, which was awesome to watch and even she tried new things and she loved everything she tried.”

Our Food Sensations for Schools program finished in December 2022. Over 16 years we empowered 41,000 students across 874 schools to make healthy food choices. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the Departments of Education and Primary Industries and Regional Development for their unwavering support.

Fast forward to 2023, and we’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new lesson; Food Sustainability and Cooking to promote food literacy and kitchen safety. We partnered with 9 schools in Perth and the Southwest to deliver 27 sessions to 355 students. Teachers and students alike praised the engaging sessions, which sparked discussions about waste reduction, sustainability and the invaluable life skill of cooking.

“The session was perfect, the children were engaged and they loved it. The sorting of cards so that nothing went into the bin was excellent. Really provoked discussion about waste and unnecessary items going into landfill.”

Using Superhero Foods® resources to inspire students

They may look like Everyday Foods but they are Superhero Foods in disguise.

Superhero Foods is all about making healthy eating and cooking fun for kids. With a range of engaging nutrition education tools like recipe booklets, posters, storybooks, collectibles and culturally appropriate resources for Aboriginal children, the program sparks curiosity and inspires lifelong healthy eating.

This year, we unveiled our brand-new website for an even more interactive experience. We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming nearly 1,000 new users to our community from all over Australia, sharing over 6,800 of our fantastic resources.

Explore our fresh and user-friendly Superhero Foods HQ website – designed to make learning a blast.

“Thank you. These will be a very treasured resource in the classroom”

Vital nutrition sessions for parents with young children

The first five years of our children’s lives are vital for developing healthy eating habits. Our Food Sensations® for Children program helps guide parents to plan, prepare and cook healthy meals for the whole family on a budget.

This year we delivered 48 programs to 450 participants, making a positive impact on 900 children. We’ve partnered with 38 community organisations across Perth, Midwest-Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance and the Southwest to reach a diverse range of families, including Aboriginal people, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people and teen parents.

Through our collaboration with the Child and Community Health and their Aboriginal Health Team, we delivered the program to Aboriginal families. With the guidance of Aboriginal Elders, we’ve not only shared cooking skills but also welcomed 35 Aboriginal families to join us on this healthy journey.

“This is a must do for new parents… the program format is informative, practical and a massive plus for new parents, social. I will be recommending it to everyone starting their parenting journey.”

Thank you to Telethon for the support of this program.

Empowering healthy food choices for people with disability

Our Healthy Food For All Abilities program is designed for people with disability, especially those transitioning to independent living or supported accommodation.

In collaboration with 21 disability service providers across Perth, Midwest-Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance and the Southwest, we’ve delivered 33 programs to 1,200 participants.

We were thrilled to welcome The Hon Don Punch MLA BPsych BSocwk MBA, Minister for Disability Services, to one of our programs to demonstrate the impact of our initiative. We also presented at the People with Disability WA State Disability Conference, showcasing the effectiveness of our program.

“The program has created a lot of interest for my client to take part in making meals and it was helpful to encourage him to eat healthy. It was a very lovely experience although he has not gone out with the other participants, he has met them elsewhere for other activities and one at a shopping mall and recognises them and he smiles says hello or waves.”

We are thankful for the Department of Communities for their support of this program.

Empowering communities in the Pilbara

We’re on a mission to feed change through nutrition education in the Pilbara and our commitment extends to Port Hedland, Newman, Punmu and Kunawarritji. Our programs are designed to boost nutrition knowledge and cooking skills in school-aged children, youth and parents and carers of children. The difference is that we’re not just sharing information; we’re lighting up lives with healthier choices and newfound cooking skills.

This year, we delivered sessions to 300 school students, 210 young people and 52 parents and carers. We also supported 400 students at 15 schools each week through our School Breakfast Program.

But our impact doesn’t stop there. We’re leaving a lasting legacy in the region through our educator training program, empowering teachers and health professionals to carry our programs into the future.

We also co-designed several practical resources including Good Mirrka, an image-based flipchart recipe book in collaboration with Martu people through KJ Families. Translating to “Good Food” in Martu Wangka (Martu language), this new resource teaches important nutrition information and features some of our best recipes in a clear and culturally appropriate way.

“The best part is the educational aspect. This is the fourth session I have seen with the students from our school and the message and games are always the same, so the students are carrying their understandings forward well. This repeated pattern and process means they are familiar and gaining critical reinforcement at all levels. Therefore, they are learning content related to healthy/unhealthy food choices as well as developing important physical skills and hygiene habits related to food preparation. However, I am also impressed by your team’s enthusiasm and positivity with the children which helps to keep them motivated and interested. They love the visits!”

We are thankful to BHP who have supported these programs for 12 years.

Delivering nutrition education in Fremantle

Nestled in the heart of Fremantle, you’ll find a purpose-built training kitchen, but it’s not just any kitchen. It’s a vibrant community space called the The Healthy Eating Hub. This kitchen is where the magic unfolds, with 71 nutrition education sessions held this year alone, empowering 726 participants with practical nutrition knowledge and skills.

But why take our word for it when you can hear it straight from those who’ve been a part of it:

“New recipes, healthy affordable and very tasty dishes that can feed the whole family and lunch for the next day. Amazing yet again thank you all.”

“I don’t have to deprive myself of delicious food for the same nutrition, and it doesn’t have to break the bank either. Superb course, very fun and constructive, cheers”

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Hawaiian for their invaluable support.

Developing a fee-for-service model

We’re on a mission to ensure the lasting impact of our nutrition education and cooking initiatives. How are we doing it? With the launch of our first fee-for-service model that’s won the hearts of not-for-profits, local and regional governments and schools. In fact, we’ve dished out an impressive 78 sessions, benefiting a remarkable 1,134 participants.

Our secret ingredient? Customisation. We craft our programs to meet the host organisation’s needs. From comprehensive 4-week culinary adventures that explore healthy eating, label reading, budget-friendly shopping and food safety, to snappy one-off sessions with engaging nutrition presentations and mouthwatering cooking demos—we’ve got the recipe for success. Better yet, our sessions are tailored to community events including Seniors Week and Anti-Poverty Week to achieve community wellbeing strategies.

We have also expanded our geographical reach by delivering nutrition education and educator training programs in South Australia.

“My son was in town when the sessions were held, when I picked him up afterwards the children who had attended the sessions could not stop talking about how much they enjoyed it. They were looking at the little recipe book they had been given and planning on making some of the meals from the book. The children loved it! I think it was great.”

Meet Martin

When Martin isn’t soaring through the skies as a pilot, you’ll find him dedicating his time and energy to volunteering with us.

His passion for volunteering traces back to his school days, but it wasn’t until Martin discovered us that he found a true sense of belonging. “Foodbank has become more than just a place to give back,” he shared. “It’s a community I love.”

“It’s a few hours each week where you get to put someone else first.”

Find out why Martin loves volunteering

Volunteers

Volunteers are the heart and soul of our mission. Each day, they generously dedicate their time and energy to help those doing it tough, always while wearing a huge smile.

During National Volunteer Week, we had the pleasure of celebrating and acknowledging the invaluable contributions of our volunteers. We extend our gratitude to Herbert Smith Freehills and Dôme Cafes for their support in making these celebrations possible.

A special thank you goes to Bankwest, who have stood by our side with unwavering support for a decade and provided invaluable corporate volunteering commitment. We also thank Volunteering WA for their continued partnership and the 1,836 corporate volunteers who lend their support throughout the year.

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you for our dedicated volunteers who achieved remarkable 10-year service milestones this year – Kathy Bailey-Ganner, Faye Clifton, Vicki Cross, Geoff Dixon, Doreen Fennell, Bob Harold, Dawn Jones, Noel Nicholson, Kurt Papp, Laurie Parravicini, Polly Pohoiwi, Pas Riggio, Mark Watson and Jill and Colin Williamson who achieved 15 years of service.

Thank you. We couldn’t do what we do without you.

Our People

We are a diverse and professional organisation employing staff across Western Australia.

We would especially like to acknowledge two staff members for achieving long service milestones. Roger Lavell reached 15 years of service and Stephen Bousfield reached an incredible 20 years of service.

We’re dedicated to our staff’s professional growth, equipping them with the skills and passion needed to fulfill our mission. Thanks to our partnership with the Australian Institute of Management WA, our staff had the opportunity to participate in 59 days of training at AIM WA, along with completing 274 safety training modules this year.

A strong focus on safety

It’s easy to say we care about the safety and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers, but we’re committed to delivering it. In the past fiscal year, we extended our steel cap boot program to all volunteers and introduced comprehensive safety training videos, providing accessible and consistent onboarding with a clear understanding of our rigorous safety standards for both existing and new team members.

After an extensive review, we chose and developed an online WHS reporting and management system to enhance reporting quality across our network.

Above: Ian Rakich, Patsy Mitchell, D. John Carlson, Derek La Ferla, Clint Johnson, Paul Branston. Not pictured Vanessa Torres, Dr Christina Pollard

(Back) Ian de Nazareth, Steve Bacon, Mike McLaren, David Warren, (Front) Rene Wang, Fran Ferreira, Kate O’Hara, Jennifer Tartaglia, Moira Aynsley

Thank you to our leadership team for their passion, commitment and dedication to meeting our purpose.

Uniting the community to support Western Australians in need

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Western Australian community and our dedicated corporate partners. A special shout-out goes to our Giving Pantry regular donors, whose monthly contributions are the backbone of our mission, making a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.