OCTEC has continued its commitment to supporting local communities by donating $20,000 to FoodCare Orange, a vital not-for-profit organisation providing affordable and rescued food to individuals and families experiencing hardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FoodCare Orange has been operating for over 13 years, growing its service from one day per week to four days. FoodCare Orange Coordinator, Tim Mordue, said they support more than 10,000 customer visits per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\u201cFoodCare came about on the back of a few community-minded people who realised there wasn\u2019t a service like this in Orange. In the last financial year alone, we\u2019ve seen over 10,000 customer visits \u2013 that\u2019s about 250 per week. We help single parents, people with disability, those escaping domestic violence, and people who have suddenly lost their income.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
TIM<\/strong>, FoodCare Orange Coordinator<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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FoodCare combines affordable shopping with free healthy food options, including locally sourced produce. Customer\u2019s pay a minimum of $8 to shop, with access to discounted food products. This also includes free fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs and bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\u201cWe know from research that our customers often don\u2019t buy as many healthy, nutritious options, so we encourage those choices by providing fruit and vegetables for free. Last financial year, we gave away around $80,000 worth of donated food for free to people in need,\u201d Tim explained.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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FoodCare operates due to the dedication of its volunteers and the support of organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\u201cOver 100 volunteers keep the service running. It wouldn\u2019t operate without the good people who give their time. They rescue food, run the shop and drive the free bus service \u2013 helping people who are really doing it tough,\u201d said Tim.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
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OCTEC\u2019s donation will assist FoodCare in continuing to supply fresh produce and maintain its emergency shopping space for those in crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OCTEC Board Member Reg Kidd visited FoodCare Orange to talk with Coordinator Tim Mordue about their services and pass on a significant cheque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\n\u201cThis is just another example of what OCTEC is doing in Orange and beyond. FoodCare is one of those hidden gems. It\u2019s run by amazing volunteers and fulfils a critical need in our community. We all need to get behind something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
REG KIDD, OCTEC Board Member<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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