- One in five Australian children are experiencing hunger
- Eat Up has witnessed a 22 percent surge in demand for lunches among the schools it serves
- Bank of Sydney’s Grant for Good highlights firm need to explore more ways to provide support to communities as the cost of living crisis begins to impact more people across the country
Sydney, 14 November 2023: Bank of Sydney is pleased to announce Eat Up Australia as the recipient of their annual 2023 Grant for Good, providing essential support to address the growing issue of child hunger in Australia.
With the escalating cost of living affecting many Australians, approximately 1.3 million children in the country find themselves in severely food insecure households, with one in five Australian children experiencing hunger. Eat Up Australia has a core mission to feed hungry kids and is dedicated to providing free lunches to Australian students on a national scale.
In the past year, Eat Up has witnessed a 22 percent surge in demand for lunches among the schools it serves, while the school waitlist has nearly doubled. The rising cost of living remains a primary factor contributing to the struggle faced by many Australians in providing meals for their families.
Lyndon Galea, Founder and Spokesperson of Eat Up Australia, emphasised the critical role of grants from organisations like Bank of Sydney in ensuring that vulnerable children have access to nutritious meals.
“The $20,000 Grant will supply 20,160 lunches, benefiting 2,740 disadvantaged children in New South Wales across 20 schools in Fairfield and Liverpool,” Mr. Galea stated. “Through the dedication of numerous volunteers, we produce over 13,000 sandwiches every week. Whether from community groups, regional organisations, workplaces, school students, or individuals, everyone has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully towards ending hunger in schools.”
Eat Up tirelessly prepares thousands of nutritious lunches daily for disadvantaged school children nationwide. By providing these crucial meals, Eat Up strives to remove barriers to education, ensuring that all Australian children can concentrate on learning opportunities and ultimately forge a brighter future.
“At Bank of Sydney, we’re proud to support Eat Up Australia in their mission to feed hungry children and commend their tireless efforts in effecting positive change in schools. By addressing poor nutrition and reducing the stigma and social isolation surrounding child hunger, they’re making a significant impact on the lives of children in need. We take pride in shining a light on the great work that Eat Up Australia is doing to support Australian children and families,” said Fawaz Sankari, Chief Business Banking Officer of Bank of Sydney.
Sankari further emphasised the need for firms to explore ways to provide support to communities as the cost of living crisis begins to impact more people across the country.
About Grant for Good
In celebration of its 20th anniversary in 2021, Bank of Sydney launched an annual $20,000 community grant aimed at supporting projects, organisations, and initiatives dedicated to advancing social inclusion, promoting health and wellbeing, bolstering sports, and other endeavours that enhance the well-being of our communities.
The inaugural recipient of the Grant for Good was Variety: The Children’s Charity. They utilised the grant to generously donate eight adaptive tricycles to two schools in regional Victoria, communities where students face ongoing trauma and disengagement.
In 2022, Plate it Forward, a not-for-profit organisation, was honoured as the Grant for Good winner. This remarkable group empowers individuals from vulnerable, disadvantaged, and at-risk communities in Sydney to overcome barriers to social and economic participation. With the grant, Plate it Forward provided 5,400 free meals and opened up employment opportunities for those in need within the Sydney communities.