Woolworths, Foodbank & FareShare rally together to support Melbourne Tower residents with fresh food relief

Tuesday, 7 July 2020: With over 3000 residents in multiple public housing towers in Melbourne in lockdown, Woolworths, Foodbank and FareShare are working together to provide them with freshly cooked meals and essential food deliveries. 

The support to date includes:

• Woolworths In Victoria have been pulling together over 4,500 bags of food filled with pantry staples such as pasta, sauce, oats and biscuits for residents as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and yoghurts. 
• Following a Woolworths delivery of protein and vegetables to FareShare kitchens this morning, over 14,000 freshly cooked meals with specific dietary requirements are being prepared for local residents. 
• Foodbank VIC have also been giving out to residents all of the remaining Woolworths Basic Boxes available on hand, together with hundreds of their own emergency hampers.
• Woolworths has supplied over 50 pallets of fruit and vegetables including apples, bananas, oranges, tomatoes as well as 3000 litres of fresh milk and 3000 litres of longlife milk, 1500 loaves of fresh bread and 960 tins of baby formula, 960 packets nappies, and 1500 toilet paper 10-packs.

Woolworths has redeployed 40 team members to its store at The District Docklands to be specifically dedicated to helping pack and provide supplies for those in this area. 

Woolworths Victoria State Manager, Andrew Hall said; "We're working hand in hand with the Victorian Government and our long-term community partners Foodbank and FareShare on the provision of meals, food and groceries to residents in public housing apartments. 

“We hope these meals and essentials will offer some relief to residents in these uncertain times.

“FareShare's Melbourne Kitchen is now cooking up every vegetable they have available and are so very thankful for the urgent orders we have placed to replenish this stock and allow more meals to be prepared.

“We want to reassure locals that we’ll be here to continue to support them with freshly cooked meals and essential food deliveries through this lockdown.” 

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For further information, contact: media@woolworths.com.au