Christmas hamper season bumps up the workload for Albury Wodonga Regional FoodShare.
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The organisation runs at a consistent level for much of the year, sourcing and then providing food items for up to 120 different agencies.
The peaks and troughs of demand vary from one group to the next, but combined it usually keeps everything fairly stable for the Wodonga-based organisation.
“But for us it’s a build-up in November and early December,” FoodShare manager Peter Matthews said.
“Demand certainly increases, but especially for items that are related to Christmas celebrations.
“That’s the speciality foods like hams and Christmas cakes and puddings.”
Mr Matthews said FoodShare helped a lot of agencies that provided hampers to their clients.
“We try to get stock in that’s appropriate to the Christmas hampers, which is not always easy,” he said.
Mr Matthews said the items FoodShare consistently supplied all year round included staples such as bread, milk and fresh fruit and vegetables.
“In January, people have done all their spending and it quietens down,” he said.
“And then it’s bang into February. People are working and have got jobs, but they’ve just run out of money.
“They’ve used the magic plastic and then all the bills start rolling in from everything and reality’s back.”
Mr Matthews said, on average, FoodShare put about 60 tonnes of food into the community.
“In January it might drop down to 40 tonnes and then in February it may go up to 85.”
Mr Matthews said that demonstrated why there was such an ongoing need for corporate partners.
More than 2200 Border residents a day run out of food and so seek help in December, rising to 3500 in February.
![Delivered: Volunteer Rex McFarlane loads up another van with fresh milk destined to help needy Border families. Delivered: Volunteer Rex McFarlane loads up another van with fresh milk destined to help needy Border families.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zTpV5j6X6iLmSh5SbcmSaP/fba3f67e-4f42-4414-ae12-98a3d3b086b3.jpg/r1014_203_4562_3356_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
![On the move: Volunteer Dan Tilders in the FoodShare warehouse, which helps feed thousands of people a day. On the move: Volunteer Dan Tilders in the FoodShare warehouse, which helps feed thousands of people a day.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zTpV5j6X6iLmSh5SbcmSaP/fbd0400e-b163-4e83-b332-2a63568adb16.jpg/r495_46_4320_3444_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
![Crucial: Providing fresh fruit and vegetables to the cash-strapped, especially leading up to and following the busy Christmas period, is a priority for Peter Matthews and his team. Pictures: ELENOR TEDENBORG Crucial: Providing fresh fruit and vegetables to the cash-strapped, especially leading up to and following the busy Christmas period, is a priority for Peter Matthews and his team. Pictures: ELENOR TEDENBORG](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zTpV5j6X6iLmSh5SbcmSaP/1cacdba9-7642-4cea-81ba-efc514e0d4dd.jpg/r487_64_2720_2720_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)