To maximise assistance for people going through financial hardship in Orange, one charitable organisation has helped another with a financial donation.
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Housing Plus donated $2600 to FoodCare on Tuesday to help it upgrade its website and produce online videos in an effort to encourage people to use the service.
Housing Plus chief executive David Fisher said the money was raised in the past year through staff barbecues.
Mr Fisher said for the past 18 months the organisation has been supporting FoodCare.
He said the staff consultative committee organised barbecues once a month, which staff paid to attend and they also had a cafeteria set up where they could pay for drinks and snacks at work.
“As a charity ourselves we benefit from support from the community and we understand how important it is for charities to receive support,” Mr Fisher said.
“It’s a very important service that Food Care provide, it’s a service that supports families… it provides day to day provisions that every body needs.”
There are about 1000 people registered with FoodCare in Orange with between 90 and 100 people accessing the service each week, and Food Care volunteer coordinator Anne Hopwood said the number of customers was steadily growing.
She said this was due to a growing divide between rich and poor, changing personal financial situations as well as more people becoming aware of the service FoodCare had to offer.
Ms Hopwood said along with regular supplies from Sydney, local shops, milk producers, a chicken producer, orchardist and home and market gardeners support the venture, and $10 spent at FoodCare was the equivalent to $20 or $25 at the supermarket.
Food Care customers Michelle Einsaar and Christine Gavegan were pleased the service received the donation.
“I’ve been coming for the last two years since I came to Orange,” Ms Gavegan said.
“I’m on a widows allowance I’ve got my own home but I’ve got to pay rates and bills and [FoodCare] keeps me above water.”
Ms Einsaar said she is a single mother said the service was a great help.
“Some weeks you can walk out with four bags and it’s $25,” she said.
FoodCare operates every Tuesday and Thursday from 9.30am to 12.30pm.