Share a meal, share the care

By Bree Harding

May 16, 2025

A record number of 175 people attended Shepparton Foodshare's annual fundraising dinner Make a Meal of June, last year, with $105,000 raised for the charity. Photo by Supplied

This June, you have the chance to sit back and relax while someone else cooks you a three-course dinner, serves it to you and cleans up the mess.

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And if that’s not appealing enough, the kicker is that the price you pay for the luxury will help to feed others who might otherwise go hungry.

Shepparton Foodshare’s annual fundraising dinner, Make A Meal of June, which has a history of selling out, returns to The Woolshed at Emerald Bank on June 18.

“We are thrilled that our fundraising dinner is such a popular event on the annual calendar, providing a great opportunity to come together with friends or colleagues to enjoy the wonderful meals and hospitality offered at The Woolshed while supporting locals,” Shepparton Foodshare chair Jeremy Rensford said.

Guests will get an update on Foodshare’s operations in its new purpose-built warehouse and hear from guest speakers, including Gowrie St Primary School principal Eron Chapman and Chelsea Smith of the school’s meals program, named Mandiga Algabonya.

The meals program is supported by Shepparton Foodshare and feeds around 200 students breakfast, lunch and morning and afternoon tea every school day at no charge to families.

With no regular or guaranteed funding, Shepparton Foodshare operates on generosity and its own fundraising, such as events like Make a Meal of June.

The fundraiser was established in 2017 to raise money to help with operating costs and has since collected more than $720,000.

On the night, businesses and individuals can purchase a tax-deductible monthly partner package for $5000 to further support Foodshare, while getting a return on their investment with promotional opportunities.

“Monthly partnerships can be purchased by one business or an individual, or perhaps you might consider joining with another community-spirited business or a group of friends to share a month,” Mr Rensford said.

For the financial year ending in 2024, Shepparton Foodshare distributed a record 490,000kg of food, a 30 per cent increase on last year, and the largest annual distribution since its inception in 2012.

Shepparton Foodshare has distributed 4.7 million kg of food, or the equivalent of 9.4 million meals, to people in need for free and has redirected more than 4 million kg of edible food from entering landfill.

Food is distributed for free to registered emergency relief agencies, schools, community meals programs, faith organisations and neighbourhood houses, which then support individuals, families, children, homeless people and people from our multicultural community.

Tickets to the Make a Meal of June fundraiser can be purchased for $100 each at sheppartonfoodshare.org.au and include a three-course meal and welcome drink upon arrival.