Students at Cavendish Road State High School in Holland Park are supporting SecondBite for the third year in a row, making regular runs to Coles Greenslopes, Carindale, and Coorparoo.
Cavendish Road State High School Deputy Principal Amanda Nuell said the students were fully engaged in what has now become an annual community action campaign, and they delight in seeing the pallets of tins ready to send off to those in need.
Shoppers can assist the kids in having more to distribute to the needy by placing canned goods in SecondBite donation bins at Coles Greenslopes, Carindale, and Coorparoo or by dropping off their donations to the school until 24 June 2022. .
“Last year we hit a record with 26,000 cans donated, but I think we can do better this year and our students are very much excited to break the record,” she said.
“Good quality, shelf-stable items such as canned vegetables, soups, tuna, sauces and baked beans are in short supply at SecondBite warehouses. We can’t get enough of them, so to have the students and staff at Cav Road help out is just a blessing for us and the charity partners we support.”
“The students’ can drive is a great initiative because the food they’re collecting complements the unsold, edible fruit and vegetables that we donate to SecondBite every day. Our Coles team has also set the goal to donate six cans each to the drive — we’re excited to see how many we can donate.”
Canned good donations are ideal as these are easily stored and distributed without spoiling, and are a great supplement to the fresh produce that SecondBite primarily provides its charity partners.
SecondBite and Coles
SecondBite is a national food rescue organisation founded in 2005 by Ian and Simone Carson. With a reach that now extends to every territory and state in Australia, the initiative started small.
At first, the dedicated couple would drop by market stalls in Melbourne with their friends and collect surplus food. They would drop these off at a local charity as contributions to the charity’s food program.
The effort soon snowballed and in 2011, SecondBite and Coles formed a nationwide partnership.
Coles is proud of its partnership with SecondBite in the last 10 years and Coles Carindale Store Manager Jason Williams is equally proud of the students’ initiative, made particularly timely in the face of recent challenges and continuing difficulties in many sectors of society.
The long-term impact of the COVID lockdowns, as well as the devastating flood events earlier in the year, have been more challenging for many people dealing with food insecurity this winter.
“A hot meal in winter seems like such a basic right but for far too many, it’s simply not possible. Our research has highlighted that food insecurity is hitting a new demographic we haven’t previously seen before,” SecondBite CEO Steve Clifford said.
Beyond the school’s drive, Coles shoppers may continue to support SecondBite by buying a $2 donation card between Wednesday 22 June to Tuesday 5 July at a Coles supermarket or by making a donation at Liquorland, First Choice liquor Market or Vintage Cellars, as part of Coles’ annual Winter Appeal for the charity.
All of the funds raised will be directed to SecondBite to help support its food rescue programs for Aussies in need.