It started with a few loaves of bread, donated weekly to families that were struggling to get by.
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It’s grown into an operation that feeds more than 900 kids in the Macleay Valley every week.
No Kid Hungry AU, a humble initiative piloted out of Gladstone by husband and wife team Dave and Julie Davis, is gathering attention Australia wide.
Running solely off the back of food donated by generous local businesses and a hard-working group of volunteers, the crew gather at a Kempsey Showground hall every week to sort out the healthy meal packs, which are are then picked up by schools and other community organisations to feed local kids.
Their cause has been helped by the recent “purchase” of a chiller van from rugby league legend John “Snoozer” Elford.
“He said to me, ‘Aren’t you that No Kid Hungry bloke? I can’t sell this to you, bring me one cent and you can have it,’” Dave explained. A transaction of the one cent took place, and No Kid Hungry AU are now the van's proud new owners.
The addition of the van means the organisation can pick up frozen meats and other cool foods from around the Macleay and Nambucca regions and keep them refrigerated all day for sorting later.
Food isn’t the only donation they receive though, with the Kempsey Macleay Tender Centre holding furniture and other donated items before passing on the sale proceeds back to No Kid Hungry AU.
The organisation’s work comes at a time when food waste is in the public eye, largely helped by the recent airing of ABC’s three-part documentary War on Waste.
“It’s a win-win-win,” Dave said.
“These stores are giving us stuff that would otherwise be going into the dumpster and costing them dumpster fees.
“The stores win, we win, and the kids win.”
With demand for their help quickly growing, Dave said that extra hands and donations would always be welcome, with a Go Fund Me Account set up in the organisation’s name (more information can be found at the No kid Hungry AU Facebook, or call 0457 562 277).
“We want to go national,” Dave smiled.
