Redcliffe Foodbank teams up with Westfield to feed needy

REDCLIFFE-based Foodbank WA is teaming up with Westfield shopping centres across the state to gather food for the hungry this September.

Every month it’s estimated that more than 7000 West Australians are turned away from charities empty handed due to a lack of food, and Foodbank WA is urging people to donate what they can at their local Westfield centre.

The most wanted items include canned goods like tuna, ham, vegetables, fruit, soup and spaghetti, along with black tea bags and pasta sauce.

Foodbank chief executive Greg Hebble said the need for food was year-round, and it was a struggle to keep up with demand month to month.

“Spring can be a particularly challenging time for us, as we have fewer food drives and donations,” he said.

“We are very grateful for our partnership with Westfield, as it will make a huge difference to those who turn to us and our charity partners for a meal.”

Mr Hebble said shoppers could pick up an extra can of food while shopping and drop it into the collection boxes, but also said people were welcome to clean out their pantry and bring what they already may have in surplus.

Scentre Group centre manager Scott Greenwood said the food drive was all part of Westfield connecting to and enriching local areas.

“We’ve found this partnership we’ve got with Foodbank that it’s a real opportunity to give back to the community,” he said.

“We have generous customers who come through our doors every year.”

The Westfield Food Drive will run between September 1 and September 30 at all Westfield shopping centres.

At Westfield Carousel, shoppers can find the collection boxes in front of Coles.