At the end of last year, the travel agency group's charity trust donated $70,000 to Foodbank, with $35,000 of this money directly funding the new milk program for kids, young adults and families, and the other half going towards provision of rice for Australian charities.
The Flight Centre Foundation's generous donation, combined with an additional $300,000 from the Australian Government and contributions from other corporate companies, has made it possible for Foodbank to provide more than 600,000 litres of long-life UHT milk to charities around Australia this year.
The program will undoubtedly make it easier for dairy products to be included in emergency food hampers and distributed to charities in remote and regional areas, without the need for refrigeration.
To celebrate the launch of the milk program, a special lunch was held at Parramatta Mission in Sydney on Monday, February 25, and attended by Julie Collins, Minister for Community Services.
Flight Centre Foundation chairman John Whateley said it was enriching to know that the company's donation had played an important part in the plight to eliminate hunger in Australia.
"When we chose to support Foodbank Australia, about a year ago, we were most happy to know that our contributions would directly help nourish young kids and families," John said.
"We are delighted that the Flight Centre Foundation can be part of the long-life milk program and the great work that Foodbank is doing to alleviate hunger in Australia."
Foodbank CEO John Webster said the support of partners was pivotal to the program, which aims to proactively fill the gaps in staple foods that cannot be obtained through traditional rescue channels.
"We see this expansion of our dairy program as a great example of what can be achieved in addressing the problem of hunger in Australia when the Government and the private sector work together," John said.
About the Flight Centre Foundation:
The Flight Centre Foundation is the heart of the Flight Centre Travel Group's corporate and social responsibility strategy.
The foundation provides an opportunity for all Flight Centre employees to contribute to nominated charities through workplace giving and various fundraising initiatives.
By harnessing the full strength of the Flight Centre family, the foundation aims to successfully use its footprint to raise awareness of the great work carried out by each of our chosen charities.
Currently, it is committed to four Australian charities - Red Kite, Youngcare, Foodbank and Bush Heritage - each of which are non-political and do not receive support from any government or corporate bodies.
Source: http://www.flightcentre.com.au/
