Media releases

City of Sydney kicks off donation drive to support OzHarvest

Published 3 August 2020

The City of Sydney is asking the community to dig deep and help OzHarvest continue to supply emergency food relief to vulnerable communities through the Covid-19 crisis.

Today OzHarvest opened a new supermarket in the Waterloo Estate, which will provide hampers, groceries and other essential items based on a “take what you need; give if you can” philosophy.

The supermarket was made possible following a $1 million City of Sydney grant and a long-term lease agreement with the NSW Land and Housing Corporation.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said that during the pandemic, OzHarvest’s volumes of rescued food had fluctuated dramatically, forcing the organisation to purchase food for the first time in 16 years to help meet the increased demand.

The Lord Mayor said while this was a tough financial time for many, any donation would be greatly appreciated to help OzHarvest continue their good work in the local community.

“For vulnerable communities the Covid-19 crisis has made accessing affordable, nutritious food even harder than usual, and the looming economic crisis has created even greater need for food services to prevent people from going hungry,” the Lord Mayor said.

“No one should be worried about having enough to eat, so we look forward to seeing the OzHarvest Waterloo supermarket open and providing hampers and groceries to help people during this challenging time.”

Working with OzHarvest and 60 community organisations, as well as the City’s own Meals on Wheels program, the City has been delivering over 20,000 meals and 1,500 staples bags a week across the Local Government Area.

OzHarvest Founder and CEO Ronni Kahn AO said the fundraising appeal, alongside the City’s $1 million donation, will help OzHarvest continue to provide emergency food relief services in addition to its food rescue operations.

“Covid-19 has impacted communities in a way we’ve never seen before. There are so many new people turning to food relief services for the first time in their lives,” Ms Kahn said.

“OzHarvest’s services are about more than just providing food relief, it’s about enabling people to take steps to rebuild their lives during this these uncertain times.

Our partnership with the City of Sydney has enabled us to expand our food rescue operations and offer emergency food relief to ensure we can meet the increasing demand. But this problem is not going away and support is needed to keep our wheels turning and make sure we continue to get food to those who need it most.”

This will be OzHarvest’s second market, following the successful OzHarvest market in Kensington. The Waterloo market is open Friday to Monday, 10am to 2pm, at: 95 Wellington Street, Waterloo.

Donations to the City of Sydney/OzHarvest Food Relief Appeal can be made online at www.feedsydney.com

For media inquiries or images, contact Belinda Wallis. Phone 0467 810 160 or email bwallis@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Anusha Muller Phone 0408 494 545 or email amuller@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au