FoodBank

About the Organisation

The first known ‘food bank’ was established in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, in 1967 by John van Hengel – a volunteer at a busy St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen.

One day he noticed a woman going through a trash bin behind a supermarket, uncovering that supermarkets and restaurants were throwing away enormous amounts of perfectly edible food every day.

He began meeting with store managers in the area and persuaded them to donate the unsaleable food to his charity. Soon he was receiving more food than he could use. With the help of a local church he established a centrally located warehouse from which any charity could receive donations – and the first food bank was born.

From here the concept of foodbanking spread across the US and around the globe.

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How to help firefighters and local communities caught up in the bushfires ?

The FoodBank Org is collecting money to provide meals to those in need. Check donation page to participate.