Foodbank Australia has recognised the outstanding contributions of six companies that have played a pivotal role in helping to bring food relief to the thousands of Australians doing it tough every day.
This year’s new-look Annual Foodbank Awards were presented to Kellogg’s, SPC Ardmona, Havas Worldwide Australia, GroupM, BHP Billiton and Cerebos by the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, at the formal dinner of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Industry Leaders Forum in Canberra.
Chairman of Foodbank Australia Enzo Allara said: “We ask a lot of our food and grocery industry partners because we cannot achieve anything without them and, unfailingly, they answer the call. The job continues in working to realise our vision of an Australia without hunger, but it is important to stop and reflect on what we¹ve accomplished and acknowledge the outstanding individual contributions that make our work possible.
“It’s always difficult to single out a few among the many partners of Foodbank, but I’m pleased to say that the recipients of the 2015 Awards are truly worthy of recognition for their respective contributions.
“We also pay tribute to the support of the minister, Christian Porter. The ongoing assistance of the federal Government is vital in maintaining our Key Staples Program.”
AFGC CEO Gary Dawson said, “Foodbank brings the expertise, scale and mass production of Australia’s food industry to bear on the problem of hunger in Australia. The strong commitment of food companies in providing practical, direct assistance to those in need is demonstrated in these great award winners.”
Kellogg’s received the Foodbank Purple Beret for distinguished service in fighting hunger. This dedication to giving is seen in Kellogg’s global Breakfasts for Better Days commitment to donate one billion serves of cereal and snacks between 2013 and 2016.
Through this program, Kellogg’s has contributed more than 12 million serves of breakfast cereal and snacks for children and their families in Australia and New Zealand. This year, Kellogg’s was a foundation partner in Food Fight, adding its weight to the campaign to raise both awareness and food. In addition, Kellogg’s continues to foster the full engagement of its staff through volunteering, food drives and support of Foodbank events.
SPC Ardmona received the Foodbank Purple Plate for its fight against hunger through the Foodbank Key Staples Program. SPC Ardmona has provided outstanding support to Foodbank for more than a decade. The company is a pillar of the program, which is aimed at ensuring there are supplies of essential foods in Foodbank’s warehouses everyday. The company also maintains a total commitment to the food rescue program by ensuring that no ingredients or packaging go to waste.
SPC Ardmona Managing Director Reg Weine said: “SPC has had a proud association with Foodbank since it was founded. We’re delighted to provide quality Australian fruit, tomatoes, baked beans and spaghetti to Australians in need. This award is a great honour and we look forward to working with Foodbank for many years to come.”
Joint recipients of the Foodbank Purple Light Bulb, for illuminating the fight against hunger in Australia, were Havas Worldwide and GroupM for laying the foundations of Foodbank’s Food Fight campaign.
The Foodbank Purple Hard Hat, for increasing Foodbank’s capacity to fight hunger, went to BHP Billiton for making possible the new Perth warehouse for Foodbank WA. BHPB contributed $3.5 million to the building infrastructure and $587,000 to the purchase of new refrigerated vehicles. This is in addition to longstanding support for Foodbank WA’s school breakfast and Food Sensations programs making it possible to reach into remote areas of WA.
The Foodbank Rookie of the Year was Cerebos. A supporter of Foodbank since 1998, Cerebos last year dramatically increased its product donations as well as making a financial contribution and increasing its employee engagement.
CEO of Cerebos Terry Svenson said: “We are proud to be part of the community in which we operate and Cerebos employees are encouraged to contribute to the collective wellbeing of the community. We support Foodbank, as we believe in and support their efforts to achieve an Australia without hunger. I’m pleased to see that giving back to the community is becoming ingrained as part of the Cerebos culture.”
