I recently had the opportunity of visiting the Foodbank in Glendenning and was impressed by the efficiency and dedication of the staff and volunteers. Samantha Prescott, the office manager, gave me an enlightening tour of the building.
She explained that the Foodbank was originally funded by the state government to set it up and due to community need it has had an extension to accommodate the storage needs. They provide food for all of NSW, including remote communities, to assist with primary school meals.
Glendenning Foodbank
Donations come from supermarkets and other businesses, but also from individuals. School tours of the Foodbank were also given until the COVID restrictions caused them to be stopped. But some students could help with the hamper packing at Christmas time last year. Christmas time is often a time of greater need when people are overstretched financially. 2020 was a year in which there was a crisis of food insecurity from groups of people that had never experienced this before, such as casual workers, young people, and international students.
Farmers and Sydney Markets provide them with fresh food. The Food Bank keeps this food in a huge cool store and large freezers, until the food is collected by community groups. Our Community Pantry distributes the food from the Food Bank to local areas, including Goulburn.
Samantha wants people to know how passionate they are about the work they do. There is great reliance on their volunteers to keep going and there is very little staff turnover.
If you are interested in donating or using the services of Foodbank, please contact them on:
Telephone: 02 9756 3099
Email: office@foodbanknsw.org.au
Location: 50 Owen Street, Glendenning, NSW, 2761
