News

Supplying fresh food for over 100 weekly

DESCRIBING it as a wonderful initiative, Blaxland MP Jason Clare visited Bankstown Women’s Health Centre (BWHC) on Thursday to see if its ‘Food Share’ program was still on the boil.

Food Share gives people in need access to weekly fresh fruit, vegetables and other groceries.
The food is donated by Foodbank Australia, Coles Community Food partnered with SecondBite, the Greenacre Area Community Centre and Valley Bakery, Greenacre.
The program is run by BWHC’s Jenny Ashwood with a team of 10 volunteers every Thursday from 9.30am at their office on Jacobs Street.
It has become a community hub, reducing food insecurity, ensuring the community has access to fresh nutritional food and meeting nutrition and health needs.
“This is great for local families who need that extra help,” Mr Clare said.
“A recent report by NSW Council of Social Service, highlighted what we already know. People in our area are struggling. Unemployment is high. Wages are low. A lot of people are struggling to pay the bills and the rent.
“Initiatives like Food Share are so important for families to eat healthy food they would normally skip because of the cost.
BWHC CEO Mariam Mourad said: “We see over 120 people walk through our doors every Thursday.
“Although doors open at 9.30am, we sometimes have people lining up from early in the morning. This shows just how much people need services like this to feed their families.”