Foodbank assistance in Mt Barker

Much-needed food assistance will be boosted in the Great Southern region following the official opening of Foodbank in Mt Barker last week.

Picture by Steve Pontin: Foodbank WA operations manager Hamish Dobie, South West MLC Colin Holt and Mt Barker Foodbank co-ordinator Hazel Rutter.

The service will operate out of the recently opened Mt Barker Community Resource Centre and will provide food to people in need in the Mt Barker area.

South West MLC Colin Holt, who officially opened the service last week, said Foodbank was the perfect example of how communities could help communities.

“Foodbank is a charity which really indicates how communities based on volunteering help out other members of the community who are in need,” he said.

Mr Holt said the location of the Mt Barker Foodbank in the community resource centre, which also houses a Centrelink outlet and the Plantagenet library, was fitting.

He congratulated everyone involved with the Mt Barker CRC and Foodbank.

“To me it’s a really good match between two really good programs that are happening in regional WA,” Mr Holt said.

Mt Barker CRC manager Stephen Shoebridge agreed.

He said Foodbank would work well together with Centrelink to provide a valuable community service, while maintaining the dignity and choices of those who needed assistance.