Appealing for needy families
Christmas charity food drive Food For Families Appeal is capitalising on the MasterChef craze by engaging celebrity chef Callum Hann.
The former MasterChef will conduct a public cooking demonstration using
predominantly non-perishable ingredients in support of the Wesley Mission Victoria annual appeal.
“I love Christmas. I love spending time with my family and friends and
sharing a meal. It’s hard to imagine that so many disadvantaged and
homeless families miss out on the simple things that we take for
granted,” says Callum.
The charity drive, which collects food, toiletries and donations
for homeless and disadvantaged families in the lead up to Christmas, is now in its twentieth year.
Janene Evans, manager of Wesley’s Homelessness Support Service in
Melbourne’s east, says many of the people who access the service rely on it just to survive.
“The donations collected from the Food For Families Appeal keep our
service users going for the coming 12 months. Without donations, many of
our service users would have no way of feeding their families at
Christmas or beyond,” she says.
“Christmas is a highly stressful time for most people – imagine what
it’s like for peoplewho are homeless or struggling on low incomes? Just
like you and I, they too feel the pressure of
having to provide
gifts for their families, but have the added burden of not being able to
pay their rent, their bills or find a safe home for themselves and
their children."
Those who attend will be treated to Callum’s live cooking demonstration, a free cupcake, freshly brewed coffee and a copy of Callum’s exclusive Food For Families recipe cards, which feature six gourmet dishes for those on a budget.
The charity aims to feed 20,000 this festive season. Individuals can donate non-perishable food and toiletries at participating Woolworths stores across Melbourne, or by donating money online.
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