First Nations meals a FareShare priority
FareShare is collaborating with First Nations communities to reduce food insecurity.
We are partnering with First Nations groups to provide tasty meals to regional and remote areas where it is difficult to access affordable, nutritious food.
Our ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan – the framework we use to respectfully engage and work with First Nations communities and services – is progressing well.
Our Meals for the Mob (MftM) program continues to go from strength to strength.
Last year’s extraordinary logistical feat saw 6,000 of our meals travel 2,700km by train, truck and ferry! Read our 2022 First Nations recap here.
This year, our MftM program has expanded to the First Nations communities of Doomadgee, Mornington Island, Yarrabah, and areas in Northern NSW.
80,000 meals have now been distributed through the program. Further expansion plans are underway.
The problems remote First Nations communities face in obtaining healthy food include distance and price.
Meals need to be kept fresh and usable during long trips often involving road, rail and sea transport. Prices for fresh food in remote areas are often prohibitive.
FareShare is developing innovative cooking and packaging to prepare meals that can be transported long distances and provided to communities for free. We are also fortunate to have the support of Woolworths, the Goodman Foundation, and transport companies.
Jason Mollenhauer, our First Nations Officer, coordinates our MftM meal program.
The meals have been developed by FareShare chef James Fien in collaboration with Helen Truby, Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Queensland.
To celebrate National Reconciliation Week in May we hosted a special event at our Meanjin (Brisbane) kitchen.
This included a Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and dances performed by children from the Murri School (pictured, left). There was also a special MftM cooking shift.
Our Meanjin (Brisbane) kitchen will host a similar event during NAIDOC Week (2-9 July). All guests are welcome to attend. Please register your interest here.
Next up: Jason is planning to return to Yarrabah and visit the Torres Strait Islands to meet with community leaders and find collaborative ways to increase access to our nutritious meals in these communities.
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