A MAJOR community effort from four local Rotary clubs has resulted in a $15,000 boost for Shepparton Foodshare, following catering work at the Victorian State H.O.G. Rally held in Shepparton this March.
The three-day event, hosted at the MOVE Museum, brought more than 700 Harley Davidson owners and enthusiasts to the region, with the hum of the motorcycles and a surge of visitors energising the Goulburn Valley.
Behind the scenes, a coordinated volunteer effort saw members of the Rotary Club of Shepparton South, Rotary Club of Shepparton, Rotary Club of Mooroopna, and Rotary Club of Shepparton Central provide breakfasts and dinners for attendees. Local Rotarians spent days preparing, cooking and serving meals, with all proceeds directed toward supporting local food relief.
Shepparton Foodshare Executive Officer, Dee Healey said the scale of the catering effort was substantial, describing it as “an absolutely mammoth task” for volunteers. She said the resulting donation would support operating costs such as fuel, utilities, maintenance and insurance, which are not covered by government funding for staffing.
The contribution comes at a critical time for the organisation, which has recorded a 40 per cent increase in food distribution so far this financial year compared with the same period last year. More than 500,000 kilograms of food has already been distributed this year alone, equivalent to around one million meals.
Over the past two years, demand has continued to surge, with annual increases of around 30 per cent. In total, Shepparton Foodshare has now distributed more than 5.5M kilograms of food, or about 11M meals, to people in need across the region.
Food is provided free of charge to a wide network of emergency relief and community organisations, including schools, neighbourhood houses, faith groups, and meal programs supporting families, individuals experiencing homelessness and multicultural communities.
The Rotary-led initiative highlights the growing importance of local partnerships in sustaining food relief services, with volunteers, growers, manufacturers, retailers and community donors all contributing to meet rising need.
