FoodCare provides access to affordable fresh food, groceries and household items for individuals and families on low incomes and won the Community Spirit and Inclusion Award for populations over 20,000 at the awards in Murrurundi.

The food relief organisation also helps people reduce food waste by: Teaching people how to grow their own produce, providing healthy recipes, collecting surplus food from supermarkets, distributing excess produce from local growers.

Mayor Reg Kidd congratulated Foodcare Orange for the award and commended the Foodcare team for its dedication.

"The team at Foodcare provides such a vital service in the community and this award is recognition of their tireless efforts," Cr Kidd said.

Foodcare Orange committee president Bev Williams paid tribute to the more than 50 volunteers who keep the service up and running each week.

"Foodcare is operated almost entirely by our dedicated volunteers," Ms Williams said.

"The award is fabulous recognition and lines up with our vision to provide anyone suffering from food insecurity or financial stress the opportunity to come and shop for a low cost and access free items."

Foodcare Orange was one of four local projects that were entered, along with Lighting Orange, Orange Sustainable Living Expo and Orange Nature Kids Program.

Keep Australia Beautiful NSW assessor Doug McDonald visited Orange for two days in August to judge the Orange submissions.

Along with the one category win, the city was a finalist for the prized Sustainable Communities - Tidy Towns Award for its overall submission.

Albury took out the top gong.

Orange City Councillor and Tidy Towns committee chairman Kevin Duffy said the recognition for Foodcare "goes to prove that volunteers are so important to the community".

Cr Duffy attended the awards weekend along with committee members Chris Gryllis and Wendy Fisher, and Tidy Towns coordinator Roger Smith.

"It was great to hear of the accomplishments of so many regional councils and their communities, with so many innovative projects making a real difference to the environment," Cr Duffy said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: