Formation 2000 | Chief Executive Officer Marcus Godinho | |
Motto Rescuing food, fighting hunger Headquarters 1-7 South Audley St, Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia, 3067. Tel. 61 3 9428 0044. Location Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia Key people David Harris (President), Sandy Dudakov (Vice-President), Kellie Watson, Rosemary Kelly, Chris Mitchison, Patrick Lanyon, Lucy Farmer | ||
FareShare (Australia) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that strives for a society where food is not wasted and no one goes hungry. FareShare rescues surplus quality food that would otherwise be wasted, and cooks more than one million meals a year in Australia’s largest charity kitchen. Its free, nutritious meals are distributed to more than 400 charities including soup kitchens, homeless shelters and community foodbanks.
FareShare collects perfectly-edible food that would otherwise be wasted from supermarkets, growers, manufacturers, wholesale markets, caterers, major retailers and hospitality schools. The food is cooked by hundreds of volunteers under the direction of experienced chefs. FareShare also redistributes a large quantity of uncooked food directly to charities and schools in disadvantaged areas.
FareShare has approximately 900 regular volunteers with an additional 3000 corporate and 3000 secondary school volunteers each year.
In 2015, FareShare commenced a kitchen garden program to supplement rescued vegetables to cook with. To date it has established kitchen gardens in Abbotsford, Moorabbin Airport and on the Baguley family farm in Clayton South.
For every $10 donated to FareShare, it can cook 15 meals for the homeless, hungry and those who have fallen on hard times.
History
FareShare began as the shared vision of a group of individuals in 2001.
Steven Kolt, a Jewish Aid Australia member, knew of the work of City Harvest, an organisation that rescues food for the needy of New York City. As a result, ‘Melbourne City Harvest’ began in 2001, rescuing food that would otherwise be wasted. Prepared meals were collected from function halls and catering venues.
Meanwhile, ‘One Umbrella’ had also begun rescuing food. With RACV Foundation’s support, the group cooked nutritious pies in the club’s kitchen. In late 2001, Melbourne City Harvest and One Umbrella decided to merge.
One Umbrella then lobbied for the creation of Victoria’s "Good Samaritan Act" which provides legal protection to those who act in good faith by donating food to charities.
In 2008, One Umbrella changed its name to FareShare and for the first time, opened its own kitchen in Abbotsford, Victoria.