Dolmio delighted 70 Foodbank volunteers with a spag bol lunch to say thank you for their hard work. This comes following recent statistics from Foodbank that, approximately 210,000 hours of volunteer time – with a value of around $4.
9 million – were “donated” to help them tackle food insecurity in 2023.
The lunch was held to recognise the important role of Foodbank volunteers in the lead up to National Volunteers Week (20-26th May) – with the Dolmio team rolling up their sleeves to serve the bolognese feast.
Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey said volunteers are an integral part of addressing food insecurity, especially as the number of households affected continues to rise.
“Volunteers are a vital part of Foodbank services, and without them, it simply wouldn’t be possible to reach as many members of the community needing help as we do,” Ms Casey said.
Ms Casey said Foodbank is thankful to Dolmio for celebrating its volunteers, putting the spotlight on their value and helping them to feel appreciated.
“We are grateful to Dolmio for supporting our work for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to celebrating our volunteers they have been producing a dedicated, regular supply of much-needed meal sauces as part of our Collaborative Supply Program. As we often have to operate with a ‘Surprise Chain’ of ad hoc donations, these regular and purpose-made donations are vital to ensure we have a consistent supply of household favourites available all year,” Ms Casey said.
General Manager of Mars Food & Nutrition Australia, Bill Heague, said Foodbank volunteers play a critical role in helping to make a meaningful difference to food insecurity across Australia.
“From packing orders of food and grocery items; delivering hampers to those in need and distributing fresh food at pop-up markets – the volunteers at Foodbank do it all and should rightly be celebrated this National Volunteer Week,” he said.
“We are proud to be working with Foodbank and their dedicated volunteers through the Foodbank Collaborative Supply Program to help deliver 3.2 million meals in 2024 – including jars of Dolmio pasta sauce.”
To find out more about volunteering at Foodbank, visit foodbank.org.au/support-us.