Foodbank Victoria’s Chief Executive Dave McNamara made a visit to his old stomping ground in Kilmore last month to accept a worthy donation from Kilmore LDV.
Mr McNamara was appointed as chief executive in 2013, bringing with him a drive to change the injustice of food insecurity that many people in Victoria face.
To help with his long-term vision, Kilmore LDV supplied five LDV Deliver 9 vans and donated the upgraded safety option packs, valued at $1500, for each vehicle.
Additionally, Kilmore LDV contributed $1000 per vehicle, and provided $500 worth of food for Foodbank Victoria’s annual food drive.
The food was generously sourced from Kilmore LDV staff and associated businesses, further supporting the community.
Mr McNamara, who is a socially-minded former chef leading the largest food relief charity in Victoria, said the support from Kilmore LDV was amazing.
“The ability for us to source and distribute healthy food is always critical, but to be able to do it in these vans … adds to the comfort of our drivers and dignity,” he said.
“Every day, we’re distributing 69,000 meals across the state, so our logistics network continues to grow, and so having vans on the roads means that we’re faster getting food to people.”
Drawing from his childhood in Kilmore, Mr McNamara said the town was a place of ‘community.’
“When I grew up, Kilmore was always about community, and it’s great to see it’s still about community,” he said.
“When you grow up in a small country town, you don’t see any difference in people.
“Doing what I do, I realise that a lot of my best mates from disadvantaged families didn’t realise that at the time.
“That community’s community, and so that’s what I love about Kilmore.”
