Community Pantry Partnership Addresses Isaac Region Food Insecurity This Christmas

Vulnerable Isaac families facing cost-of-living pressures this Christmas will receive food relief through a $158,000 Community Pantry partnership.

Anglo American has partnered with Emergency and Long-term Accommodation Moranbah (ELAM) to help provide emergency relief to families and individuals in crisis across the Isaac region.

The two-year Community Pantry and Emergency Relief partnership delivers food relief measures under five initiatives.

• $26,000 in funding to stock and maintain ELAM’s Community Pantry with non-perishable groceries

• $52,000 in funding for click and collect orders of fresh produce, dairy products, meat, personal hygiene and baby formula

• $80,000 in funding for ELAM’s Food for Thought Program, which includes 65 breakfasts and lunches delivered daily to school students in Moranbah and Coppabella

• Weekly provision of 25 frozen meals from Grosvenor Village

• Staff donations of non-perishable goods

ELAM manager Tracy Chapman said the increasing cost of living was adding further pressure to families and individuals who were already struggling to make ends meet.

“ELAM has experienced a significant demand for emergency relief over the past 12 months, and the cost of living is putting families under increasing financial stress,” she said.

“Most of our clients are living from pay to pay after using their savings.

“Christmas adds extra strain on an already stretched budget and, in some cases, people may have to skip gifts all together.”

Anglo American Australia CEO Dan van der Westhuizen said Anglo American was pleased to partner with a like-minded organisation that shared the company’s purpose.

“ELAM’s mission to empower Moranbah’s most vulnerable residents to achieve independence through the provision of social support directly aligns with our objective to improve liveability in the areas where we operate,” he said.

“We hope the Community Pantry means every family can have a memorable Christmas no matter their circumstances.”

Under ELAM’s Community Pantry initiative, community members experiencing food insecurity can visit Moranbah Youth and Community Centre to collect pantry goods free-of-charge.

This service is supplemented by a click-and-collect order for fresh produce, dairy products, meat, personal hygiene items and baby goods.

Donation bins have been installed at Anglo American’s Moranbah North and Grosvenor mines to collect staff donations of non-perishable pantry goods, which help in keeping the pantry fully stocked.

‍

L-R: Tony Oliva - Grosvenor Mine, Tracy Chapman - ELAM, and Paul Stephan - Grosvenor Mine. Photo supplied: Anglo American