Since 2012 Shepparton Foodshare has distributed 4.8 million kilograms of food, or the equivalent of around 9.6 million meals to people in need across the Goulburn Valley and beyond.

Foodshare’s food collection, warehousing and redistribution service provides a hub for registered agencies to collect food for the people they support and for business and individuals to donate.

Shepparton Foodshare rescues and receives donations of food to redistribute to people experiencing food insecurity.  On average 350,000 kgs of food is distributed to registered emergency relief services, schools, neighbourhood houses, community meals programs and faith organisations annually. The people supported include individuals, children, people experiencing homelessness, First Nations people, and our multicultural community, including new arrivals and refugees.

Foodshare partners with supermarkets, business, manufacturers, growers and other food rescue agencies to provide nutritious food. Food is stored according to regulation guidelines to extend shelf life to provide nutritious food and prevent edible food entering landfill. It operates under a no fee for service model other than a small one-off registration fee. Food is provided to agencies on the agreement they provide it to people experiencing food insecuirty for free as these people simply cannot pay for it.

Along with the positive impact of providing food and reducing landfill by redirecting edible food from the waste stream, the social impact flows to the 30 volunteers that provide the majority of the hours required to operate.  These volunteers benefit from and contribute to a sense of community resilience and connectedness and have the opportunity to gain preemployment and vocational skills.