The Byron Farmers’ Market continued its tradition of supporting local organisations with a recent donation to the Liberation Larder and other local charities.
The $2,000 given to Liberation Larder would go towards a new freezer ‘to replace the upright one that died’, said Liberation Larder president Helen Hamilton.
Or it could buy a much-needed new blender, or pay for shelving in a shared coolroom, ‘where we currently stack on top of upturned milk crates’.
‘We can make $2000 go a long way,’ Ms Hamilton said
Byron Farmers Market has supported the Larder for six years – helping it provide 500-600 meals a week to the homeless and hungry in the Shire.
‘We could not produce the high-quality, nutritious meals that we do every week without the Farmers’ Market’s generous donations,’ Ms Hamilton said.
Every Monday and Thursday, volunteers at the rear of the Byron Community Centre provide breakfast, lunch and takeaway produce through the Larder.
Volunteers such as Katy Berentsen and Pamela Gornall also scoop up any excess produce at the end of the market on Thursday and create tasty healthy meals with it.
The service opens up in Brunswick Heads on Fridays to provide breakfasts, lunches and takeaway meals to the needy in the north of the Shire, including many families, Ms Hamilton said.
Another beneficiary of the Farmers’ Market’s civic commitment is the SHIFT Project – a residential transition program run by volunteers for homeless and at-risk women.
‘The $2,000 donation will support education programs in healthy eating, art therapy and office supplies,’ said
MD of the SHIFT project, Anne Goslett, who was ‘completely humbled’ by the donation, and ‘dancing with joy’.
A further $5,000 was donated to the Northern Rivers Community Foundation, which this year has a record $130,000 available in grants for not-for-profit organisations across the northern rivers.
The theme ‘Innovation – Moving Out Of Disadvantage’ is the focus for this year’s NRCF funding round.
The Byron Farmers’ Market is held every Thursday at Butler Street Reserve.
