As demand for food relief soars, OzHarvest and Woolworths have reached a remarkable milestone.
OzHarvest has just marked a milestone as sobering as it is significant; last week, the food rescue organisation and one of its principal suppliers, Woolworths, provided the equivalent of their 100-millionth meal to Australians in need, at a time when food banks are seeing record demand.
The milestone reflects a decade-long partnership between the supermarket and Australia’s leading food rescue charity. Each week, OzHarvest teams collect surplus fresh food from more than 550 Woolworths supermarkets and distribution centres nationwide, delivering it directly to over 1,500 charities that help feed people in need.
OzHarvest founder and CEO Ronni Kahn AO said the achievement was about far more than numbers. “Each one of those meals has helped someone who really needed it,” she said. “For ten incredible years, the Woolworths team hasn’t just been a partner – they’ve been champions of our mission.”
Woolworths Group CEO Amanda Bardwell echoed the sentiment: “Reaching 100 million meals with OzHarvest really shows what we can achieve when we work together. We know families are doing it tough right now, so making sure good, fresh food gets to people who need it instead of going to waste is more important than ever.”
How can I contribute?
The OzHarvest 2025 Community Needs Survey found that 77 percent of frontline charities have seen a surge in people seeking food relief, as cost-of-living pressures continue to bite. And as the giving season hurtles towards us, there are simple ways to help. The 11th annual Woolworths Christmas Appeal returns soon, offering customers the chance to buy $1 or $2 donation tags at checkout, round up their shop, or purchase selected products to support OzHarvest.
Related story: ‘Generation waste’: research reveals who’s really driving the food-waste crisis
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