Nourishing Our Country

OzHarvest HQ is based in Sydney, with eight offices, nine hubs and five volunteer run regional chapters across the country.

Click on the map to see our impact in each location.

Offices
Hubs
Regional Chapters

Food Rescue & Relief

12,716,046
Kgs food rescued
25,432,091
Meals delivered
2,610
Food donors
Heart
1,500
Charities
Vans
70
Vans
Person Icon
156
Drivers
Food rescue Qld

Getting good food to those who need it most.

Feeding people in need lies at the heart of our mission and 2023 saw a record number of people needing our help. To increase our impact and meet ongoing demand, we’ve undertaken a comprehensive review of our food rescue operations, prioritising efficiencies within our model and fleet management. Our goal is clear: to optimise our efforts and channel resources effectively, ensuring that more food reaches more individuals in need each day.

In the past year, funding for emergency food relief projects started during Covid, like hampers and cooked meals reached their conclusion. After three years of support for regional communities, our Mobile Market hosted the final pop-up markets in June.  Social connection, comforting smiles and conversation were a staple part of this service during times of increased need. Food relief continues with our volunteer-led chapters and community-led organisations.

The cost of living is now the number one reason people face food insecurity in Australia. A staggering 73% of the charities we support saw an increase in demand over the last six months. Shockingly, almost half of these charities are struggling to meet the surging demand for food. The end of emergency food relief funding have seen post covid operational changes leaving 837 charities on the waiting list to receive food.

Addressing the need in the Northern Territory is underway with our first food rescue run starting up in Kakadu, travelling 850 kms and delivering 650kg of fresh produce to 50 households in remote indigenous communities. We’re learning about the needs of each community through consultation and conversation and are being met with big smiles as we forge new networks in the region.

Collaboration is a key part of our strategy, and we continue to work together with food rescue and relief organisations to address the national issue of food insecurity in Australia.

Special Thanks

OzHarvest Market

102,000
Customers
500,000
Kgs food
320
Volunteers
Feed_hero-shot_

A safe space for food, comfort and hope.

Our free supermarket in Sydney’s Waterloo is open five days a week and most days there is a constant line of people waiting.  This year has been the toughest yet, with so many new people turning to our OzHarvest Market in Waterloo for help.  Our team on the ground has noticed a distinct change in the type of people visiting the market in the last year.

The power of connection and community shines through at the market, thanks to our wonderful team of volunteers who welcome customers with a smile, treating everyone who needs our help with dignity and respect. On Tuesdays, customers are served free coffee, thanks to the amazing Woofys team and on Thursdays we run our community outreach program at the Waterloo Neighbourhood Centre, connecting customers with support services like Legal Aid, Services Australia, and clothing resources.

We also hosted our very special community event – Eat.Shop.Chop – where 558 customers received new clothing and bedding, free haircuts and a delicious lunch from our food truck. Bringing together those in need with giving and joy!

Special Thanks

Cooking for a cause

693
Sessions
Person Icon
11,000
People Participated
Vans
302
Companies
Heart
110,000
Meals made with love!
CFC

Purposeful team building cooking meals made with love.

Our brilliant chefs have been incredibly busy this year, hosting a record number of corporate teams at ‘Cooking for a Cause’ sessions across the country.  In Melbourne we have a shiny new kitchen and thanks to our amazing partners Suncorp Bank, we have a kitchen next to the warehouse in Brisbane. Sydney, Newcastle and Perth are all guns blazing with new team members and increased bookings, and in South Australia we’re cooking up a storm in the Adelaide Oval kitchens! 

We regularly receive messages of thanks from corporate teams who come through our doors who realise the value is so much more than just a cooking lesson! They leave with big smiles, full hearts and bellies knowing they’ve created delicious meals that will make someone’s day. At the same time, they’ve learnt about our work and how to reduce food waste at home, as they chop, stir, roast and mash with their team mates and finally tasting food made with love.

Special Thanks