Gold Industry Group members cooked up a storm in Foodbank WA’s Community Kitchen earlier this year, kicking off the Mega Meal Challenge for the year by smashing the target of making 1,000 pizzas and delivering 1,183 pizzas for West Australians in need.
30 volunteers from AngloGold Ashanti Australia, Evolution Mining, Gold Fields, Gold Road Resources, Newmont, Northern Star Resources, Ramelius Resources, Regis Resources, St Barbara, Westgold Resources and The Perth Mint rolled up their sleeves and put their cooking prowess to the test.
Upon delivery to Foodbank WA’s distribution centres at Perth Airport, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Boulder and Mandurah, the pizzas were distributed to a network of over 480 registered charities in metro and regional areas throughout Western Australia.
Foodbank WA Partnership and Development Manager Andrew Wilkinson said the Community Kitchen is a way to provide meals to more people experiencing hunger throughout the State while reducing food waste.
“The Gold Industry Group members made an equivalent of an amazing 1,479 meals within one week for vulnerable West Australians experiencing food insecurity,” said Mr Wilkinson.
“As our first Mega Meal Challengers for 2021, it was an absolute pleasure to have such generous representatives of the gold industry partake in our food relief effort. Their time spent highlighted the importance of various industries coming together within our society to help ensure no West Aussie is left behind,” added Mr Wilkinson.
Newmont Australia Group Executive: Legal, Sustainability and External Relations and Gold Industry Group Director Andrew Kennedy shared his experience.
“Thank you Foodbank WA and Gold Industry Group for giving me the opportunity to develop my pizza making skills!
“I’m really pleased that Newmont Australia and other gold industry participants have chosen to partner with Foodbank WA and provide support through difficult times,” said Mr Kennedy.
Gold Road Resources Executive Administrator Jessica Jones also shared her experience.
“We had such an incredible day today at the Foodbank. It is just astonishing how much food goes to waste more often than not,” said Ms Jones.
Foodbank not only plays a lead role in fighting hunger but also a vital role in tackling Australia’s $20 billion food waste problem.
The Community Kitchen utilises ingredients from the Foodbank WA warehouse, which has helped reduce their food waste from 11% to 4%. Foodbank WA’s Community Kitchen Manager and an army of individual and corporate volunteers have turned 100 tonnes of ingredients into 250,000 ready-to-eat meals since opening the Kitchen five years ago.
Find out more about gold’s support for Foodbank WA on our website.
Learn more about how Foodbank WA is helping to fight hunger, by visiting their website or following them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.