One of Australia’s largest private family foundations, Gandel Foundation, is continuing its longstanding commitment to supporting leading food rescue charity FareShare, pledging to match funds raised by FareShare during Melbourne’s Good Food Month in November.
Gandel Foundation will match public donations to the value of $50,000, ensuring crowds attending the Good Food Month’s flagship event, the Night Noodle Market, will have even more incentive to support FareShare.
FareShare operates Australia’s largest charity kitchen in Abbotsford. It rescues surplus quality food from supermarkets, farms and other businesses and volunteers cook it into 20,000 free nutritious meals for Victorian charities each week.
CEO Marcus Godinho said John and Pauline Gandel had been major supporters of FareShare for most of its existence.
“Gandel Foundation shares FareShare’s passion for rescuing surplus food and tackling hunger in Victoria,” said Mr Godinho.
“Gandel Foundation started its partnership with FareShare in 2009 when it bought us a refrigerated van. From the beginning the Gandels were closely engaged in our operations.
“That’s why, when we decided to create Australia’s largest charity kitchen, Gandel family donated a substantial amount of funding to help pay for it.”
Gandel Foundation CEO Vedran Drakulic said that Good Food Month is a fantastic event and that it was great to see FareShare’s involvement in making it into something more than just celebrating good food.
“We are very encouraged that the organisers chose FareShare as their charity partner for the second year in a row. The festival is growing in popularity and it presents a great opportunity to engage the Victorian community in issues around food insecurity, helping everyone be part of the solution to hunger,” Mr Drakulic said.
“We decided to provide a matching grant for a couple of reasons; firstly, it provides an additional incentive for the public to donate to a very worthy cause; and it can also help FareShare grow its donor base and spread its message to broader audiences.
“FareShare can make 20 meals for $10. If people know that, thanks to the Gandel grant, their $10 donation can turn into 40 meals, they’re even more likely to give generously.”
Marcus Godinho said the need to raise additional funds was stronger than ever, with FareShare pledging to increase its output of nutritious meals by 25 per cent from February next year.
Media enquiries:
Ben Hart, Director – Communications, 0407 445 551 ben.hart@fareshare.net.au