Sale Food Support will be hitting the road with a new refrigerated van this week, thanks to a $70,000 donation from electricity distributor AusNet through its $12 million Energy Resilience Community Fund.
AusNet Executive General Manager Liz Ryan said the refrigerated van will allow Sale Food Support to safely transport perishable food such as meat and dairy products to families in Sale and surrounding areas of the Wellington Shire community.
“Through our community engagement we know the challenges faced by Sale Food Support as they strive to provide essential food staples to people who don't have the means to come into their Sale food distribution centre,” said Ms Ryan.
“We’re very pleased this funding can help make a meaningful difference to the community through Sale Food Support,” she said.
AusNet’s $70,000 donation funded the van, its fit-out and some of the initial running costs. It features colourful images of nutritious and delicious food and is expected to be a welcome sight in the community in the future.
Sale Food Support President Carolyn Hutty welcomed AusNet’s investment saying it will greatly increase the number of people they can serve.
“More than half of our 500 customers reside in outlying areas of Wellington Shire.”
“We have seen a significant increase in demand for our services due to cost-of-living pressures. Unfortunately, there are many people in Sale and our surrounding communities who don’t have food security at the moment,” added Ms Hutty.
The van will also facilitate access to a variety of refrigerated produce that Sale Food Support has not been able to source previously.
“A refrigerated van will make it easier for us to reach community members who are geographically or socially isolated, or who have restricted mobility,” said Ms Hutty.
AusNet’s $70,000 donation was part of the first phase of the Energy Resilience Community Fund which provided hardship grants to business and residential customers and donations to emergency relief organisations after the February 2024 storms. The next phase of Fund is the provision of grants that will help increase community energy resilience in its electricity distribution network.
Visit Energy Resilience Community Fund for more information.
MEDIA EVENT:
When: Wednesday August 7, 2024
Time: 11am, Sale Food Support
Where: Sale Food Support, 2/97 Cunninghame Street, Sale
Who:
AusNet General Manager Gerard Carew
Sale Food Support President Carolyn Hutty
Community member Irene Bennett
More details: AusNet Media Manager Nicci de Ryk on 0401 485 003.