SecondBite has opened a new warehouse in Morningside, Queensland, allowing it to grow its food rescue efforts to 24 million meals a year.
The new facility has doubled its internal floor space to 1200m2 as well as extended chiller and freezer capacity. The move and fit out was made possible through $500,000 in Queensland Government funding as well as more than $500,000 worth of donations from the Charles and Cornelia Goode Foundation, Bowden Marstan Foundation, and the Pavetta Foundation.
Daniel Moorfield, CEO of SecondBite, said with the number of food insecure Australian households going from one in five to one in three in the past year, the increased capacity of the new location couldn’t come at a better time.
“We’re committed to working with growers, manufacturers and retailers to rescue quality, nutritious food and deliver it to Queenslanders who need it most. We work with more than 227 charity partners in Queensland and this warehouse will service both metro and regional areas, helping to feed millions of hungry Queenslanders from as far as Mossman and Mt Isa in the north all the way to Burleigh Heads in the south.”
The facility is also equipped with five fleet vehicles that are used to collect food from doners and bring it back to the warehouse where produce and other items are sorted and packed for more than 50 charity partners that come for collection each week.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Queensland Government as well as our charity partners and donors who have made this move possible. With just under 50 per cent of SecondBite’s Queensland stock coming through this warehouse site, their generosity means our operations are future-proofed to help connect the dots between the oversupply of food, and the Queenslanders who can’t afford to buy it,” said Moorfield.
The Hon Dianne (Di) Farmer, Local MP and Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills, officilally opened the site and said the funding provided by the Queensland Government will flow through to help Queenslanders on the ground.
“Having been involved in community organisations like Bulimba Meals on Wheels, I’ve seen first-hand the critical need of many in our community and the important work that goes into ensuring our most vulnerable are supported.
“SecondBite was successful in securing funding in Round 2 of the Food Rescue Grant Program to be allocated to infrastructure, equipment, and operational costs to divert additional food from landfill and redistribute it to Queenslanders in need. I would like to warmly welcome SecondBite to the Bulimba electorate. It will feel at home in this incredibly community-minded area.”
To stay up to date on the latest industry headlines, sign up to the C&I e-newsletter.