Community Food Box gifted solar power

An issue for the Mullumbimby Community Food Box since they opened has been the ability to keep fresh produce chilled. The group provide more than 1,300 low-income households in the Northern Rivers with quality food items, something that would be impossible without the help of refrigeration.

Rising energy costs were threatening the future of the service, but those days are over as the Food Box has been given a 5kW solar system.

The Business Development Manager from Greentech Simon Ceglinski, asked Canadian Solar, Radiant Energy Solutions, and NSW-based solar installer 24 Hour Solar Power whether they could help, and they agreed to supply the Food Box with a solar system that will offset more than half of their power bill.

‘When I heard the Food Box was struggling with rising energy costs, I knew exactly how I could help,’ said Mr Ceglinski. ‘My suppliers and customers are incredibly community-focused and they jumped at the chance to get behind this project.’

Thanks to the donation the 24Hour Solar Power team installed a 5kW system on the roof of the Uniting Church in Mullumbimby in July .

Co-founder of Mullumbimby Community Food Box Gillian Lomath OAM, says that being gifted the solar system will allow the group to continue providing affordable food for those who struggle financially. ‘It is priceless,’ she said. ’We were struggling to pay our electricity bills and were really having to review if we could continue with this vital service.’

The Mullumbimby Community Food Box is open every Thursday 9.30-11.30am at the Uniting Church on the corner of Jubilee Avenue and Whian Street, Mullumbimby, and is affiliated with local non-for-profit Foodbank, which has been helping reduce domestic hunger since 1992 by feeding over 710,000 people across every state and territory of Australia each month.