THE YELLOW VAN FOOD RESCUE - CASE FOR SUPPORT
IN SUMMARY
As Australians, one of our fundamental values is for everyone to have a basic standard of
living, including access to sufficient food.
Yet, every year in Australia, 60,000 families go without meals or are stressed about where
their next meal is coming fromi. Every day, Canberra charities worry about where to find
the funds to produce meals and food hampers for the growing number of vulnerable people
they serve. Some families are making the gut-wrenching decision to skip a meal to make the
budget stretch a little further. Teachers and youth workers are supporting children and
young people who are arriving at our schools without breakfast, hungry and unable to
concentrate.
Meanwhile, over 3 million tonnes of good food is dumped every year in Australia as waste,
an estimated 20% of all food producedii. Food retailers are dumping fruit and vegetables
into bins because produce with even minor blemishes won’t sell; caterers dump trays of
beautifully prepared meals that didn’t get to the conference buffet table; and farmers are
throwing away nutritious produce left over from weekly markets.
Over at the city landfill, local government staff work on strategies and incentives to deal
with the growing amount of waste our city produces.
Something is not right if people are going without basic meals while good food is being
thrown away. There has to be a way of ensuring valuable food is not wasted and that
people in our city who need a meal get it.
The Yellow Van food rescue service is providing a solution by rescuing excess food from
supermarkets, event caterers and restaurants, and distributing it to charities and refuges
supporting vulnerable people in need in the Canberra region.
Put simply, we provide the logistics to get good food to people who need it. Each month,
we rescue and deliver over 16 tonnes of good food to more than 70 charities and refuges,
allowing them to provide over 50,000 meals to disadvantaged people in the community – an
equivalent of 1,800 meals a day. In doing so, we also ensure that 16 million litres of water
used to produce this food is not wastediii and that the amount of food dumped as landfill is
significantly reduced.
This service is free to both the donors of food (approximately 90) and the charities who
receive it. The Yellow Van is the only food rescue service in Canberra, Queanbeyan and Yass
and since beginning our work in Canberra in early 2008 we have become an essential service
to many charities and an invaluable support to the many Canberrans who are doing it tough.
We assist a range of agencies including domestic violence refuges, disability support
services, homeless shelters, youth drop-in centres, mental health support groups, people
with drug, alcohol or gambling problems, refugee programs, school breakfast programs, and
other programs assisting those who have financial difficulties.
The benefits of the program are substantial and wide ranging:
 food donors benefit because they don’t need to dispose of their leftover food;
 charities benefit because they can divert funds normally budgeted for food to other
worthwhile initiatives such as training, rehabilitation or simply turning up the heater
on a cold winter’s night;
 people in need benefit from high quality, nutritious meals; and
 the environment benefits from water savings in food production and less waste
being dumped as landfill.
It is clear that The Yellow Van is value-adding socially, economically and environmentally.
The service adds another unique value when you see the smiles on the faces of the charities’
staff and the people they serve when the wonderful food reaches their doorstep. It’s the
value of dignity - they know the community cares!
HAVING ENOUGH FOOD TO GO AROUND
Canberra has seen its homelessness population almost double in two yearsiv. This, coupled
with the increasing pressure on low income families in our city due to the relatively high
cost of housing, has dramatically increased the demand for community services provided by
charities of the Canberra region.
Charities are also reporting a growing trend of calls for help from the “working poor” people who have jobs, but are struggling to manage because of excessive living costs. There
is a growing gap between community service demand and community service funding.
The Yellow Van offers an extremely efficient way of helping the community sector address
this gap. In 2011-12, The Yellow Van delivered enough food to allow Canberra charities to
provide more than 600,000 meals.
The Yellow Van collects food from a range of supermarkets, fresh food markets, cafes,
restaurants, caterers and primary producers. Care is taken to ensure all food rescued is
within use-by dates and is suitable for human consumption. Whilst all food types are
welcome, the Yellow Van specifically seeks out fruit, vegetables, dairy products, cereals and
meat to allow the charities to provide a variety of nutritious meals to clients.
IT’S SUCH A WASTE
As we become increasingly environmentally aware, we are beginning to understand the
value of what we consume and what we throw away, not only in terms of the dollar value
but also in terms of the resources it takes to create various products.
According to CSIRO data, dumping a kilogram of beef wastes the 50,000 litres of water it
took to produce that meat. Throwing out a kilogram of white rice wastes 2,385 litres of
water. Wasting a kilogram of potatoes costs 500 litres.v
Using this data we can conservatively state that each month the Yellow Van not only saves
16,000 kilograms of food from being wasted, but also saves the 16 million litres of water
used to produce it.
Another challenge facing Australia is the amount of rubbish going to landfill. Councils are
struggling to provide enough dumping sites, which require land that could otherwise be
used for housing or agriculture. Food dumped in landfill is especially troublesome as
decaying food produces methane, one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases.
Preventing the wastage of food saves water resources and reduces greenhouse gases.
HOW WE OPERATE
The Yellow Van operation is very lean. We operate seven days a week with a fleet of three
refrigerated food delivery vans and a team of five paid staff and 39 volunteers. We are also
fortunate to receive much valued corporate sponsorship, philanthropic support, public
donations and in-kind assistance. Communities@Work is the major sponsor and generator
of funds for the Yellow Van and its operating costs are less than $40,000 a month.
The food rescue model of the Yellow Van is an extremely efficient and practical way of
supporting the work of charities. It costs less than $1 for The Yellow Van to deliver enough
food for one meal, whereas the average budgeted food cost for a charity is $2.64 for a meal.
A financial donation to The Yellow Van therefore generates a 164% return in value to the
charitable organisations of our city.
It is very important to us that the integrity and safety of food that we deliver is upheld. We
have developed and implemented a controlled system of collecting, storing and delivering
food. We operate with a documented and detailed policy and procedures manual, and we
have put into practice a comprehensive program of training for both paid and volunteer
team members.
HOW WE ARE FUNDED
The Yellow Van currently receives no ACT or Australian Government funding and relies
completely on strong community support through corporate sponsorships, public donations
philanthropic grants and in-kind assistance.
Communities@Work manages the Yellow Van program and is the major sponsor and
generator of funds.
WHAT OUR CHARITIES SAY
Below are just some testimonials which demonstrate the importance and value of the
service provided by The Yellow Van.
As of January 2011, one of the service clubs that sponsored our Free Food Program went into
receivership and was unable to supply us with hot meals on a Thursday night. This put our
service into chaos as we didn’t know how we were going to feed 80 people every week
without any hot food and with no cooking facilities of our own. It is only thanks to The
Yellow Van, who each week bring us meat and other dishes, that we are able to make our
food service of a Thursday night viable and able to operate.
Penny Jackson – Red Cross
The effect your food delivery has had on our service has been amazing. We are seeing more
clients, more regularly. They are drawn in by the promise of great food, food we simply
couldn’t afford to buy and prepare without your help. We have seen an increase in the
health and strength of clients as the benefits of nutritionally balanced meals on a regular
basis take effect. A few clients have been able to make a transition to work and supported
accommodation, in part because of the quality of the food The Yellow Van has been able to
provide.
The Blue Door Drop-In Centre, St Vincent de Paul
It is a great honour for St John’s Care to be the recipient of the one millionth meal delivered
by The Yellow Van. Just after I joined St John’s Care in February 2008, I heard about this new
organisation which was harvesting food from restaurants and catering companies. At that
stage, I could not see how we could use their services, as St John’s Care provides food parcels
for Canberrans who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.
I decided to join The Yellow Van in June 2008, in the hope that they might collect some food
on their travels that would be useful to our organisation. Every now and then we got a small
drop which was always appreciated, but what we were really after was some fresh fruit and
vegetables. After a few months the Manager of The Yellow Van phoned to say that a
Supermarket chain would be offering them fruit and vegetables that were still in good
condition, but were not saleable. We were interested!
It has been a beautiful marriage ever since. One of my great delights on a Monday morning
is seeing the little yellow van driving up the hill towards SJC. It is better when it reverses into
the car park, because then I know that they have a lot of good supplies on board. It is a bit
of a raffle, we never know how much or what we are going to receive, but it is always good
quality and really appreciated by our clients. When you are seeing more than two hundred
and sixty clients a month, you need a lot of food.
Probably the most unusual item I have received from The Yellow Van was a bag of fertilizer.
The volunteers thought I might like it because they knew that I have ten garden beds in the
back yard, where we grow some of our own vegetables for the clients.
It is wonderful that nothing is wasted and the volunteers and staff are so good to deal with.
They are proud of what they do – it is a great service with a smile.
Sue Jordan
Director St. John’s Care Reid
With the food that you deliver we can provide a complete meal of meat, fruit and vegetables
- it’s amazing! With our budget, that type of food is a luxury. Without your support we
simply couldn’t provide the same level of nutrition and variety.”
Suzie at St Benedict’s Community Day Care
Your contribution has made a huge difference; the food you deliver has given every child a
chance to enjoy a healthy breakfast once a week. The impact of being able to provide
children with fresh fruit as a mid morning snack has had noticeable results on their
concentration and classroom achievements.”
Doreen, from a local school breakfast program.
Our intervention program aims not just to provide a bed for homeless young men, but to
help them get their lives back on track through education, training, vocation, teaching living
skills, and access to medical care. All of this could not be achieved if we did not have the
support of The Yellow Van. Their vans dash around Canberra delivering life-saving meals of
hearty stew, bread, fresh fruit, and juice or milk to help address the escalating number of
people in the community who need food assistance.”
Rhonda from Bridge Back To Life Foundation
On behalf of the young people who utilise the drop-in centre run by U-Turn Youth Services
we’d like to thank all of the services who donate to The Yellow Van and also the staff and
volunteers who deliver the food.
The young people benefit on a daily basis from the rescued food which is eaten immediately
or frozen to be eaten later.
The Yellow Van is now recognised as a sign of good food coming in to the centre and the
young people usually see it before the staff and excitement ensues.
Thank you again for providing a service vital to our organisation. We look forward to future
deliveries from the cheery Yellow Van staff.
U-Turn Youth Services staff
ABOUT COMMUNITIES@WORK
The Yellow Van’s operations are managed by Communities@Work, a not-for-profit company
limited by guarantee and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Communities@Work’s vision is for a resilient and socially inclusive community that cares for
the well-being of all, and its mission is to deliver quality community services of social value
and practical benefit.
We are a large community service organisation, coordinating services from 35 locations and
delivering services to more than 13,000 people annually.
We have a paid workforce in excess of 450 staff and engage 150 self-employed family day
care educators. We also harness the passionate commitment of around 200 volunteers.
Operating for nearly 35 years in the ACT, we have built an enviable reputation for providing
a broad suite of quality programs including child care and foster care, parenting and family
support, youth programs, educational programs, transitional housing, assistance for those
experiencing hardship, respite and disability services, as well as transport, in-home support,
and social activities for seniors.
Our programs are funded through contracts with governments, fees for service, corporate
sponsorships, philanthropic funds and donations. We are a public benevolent institution
endorsed to receive tax deductible donations.
We are a registered training organisation, offering nationally accredited training specialising
in children’s services and community services.
We work with other organisations and individuals on community development projects and
events to strengthen connections between people, foster well-being and celebrate our
community’s creativity
HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are a number of ways you can help The Yellow Van achieve its objectives.
Make a Financial Donation - We rely on public support to keep our wheels rolling. If we
could push apples into our fuel tanks we'd be fine! The reality is that we need financial
donations to keep the yellow vans on the road.
As a registered charity, all donations over $2 are fully tax deductible.

A regular gift - By direct debit or credit card -is a great way to help the Yellow Van
because committed giving helps us to plan for the future with confidence.

A major gift – By making a major gift to the Yellow Van you will help us achieve our
goal of rescuing good food and ensuring it is delivered to the people in our
community who need it. Gifts may be pledged over several years.
The Yellow Van’s major gifts program provides our donors with a personalised
opportunity to support our work. The generosity of our major donors is recognised
in a variety of ways and can be tailored to suit the particular interests of the donor.
Recognition may include branding on our vans, acknowledgement in our
publications and on our website. Naturally we will respect the privacy of donors
who wish to remain anonymous.
Sponsorship- Add the sponsorship of the Yellow Van to your marketing strategies as a great
way of adding interest or emotional weight to your marketing objectives. Make your
organisation stand out as a leader in community awareness and corporate social
responsibility.
A Bequest - By remembering the Yellow Van in your Will, you are pledging your
commitment to our city, Canberra. You will be ensuring a future for food rescue and its
benefits to an entire community of charitable organisations for generations to come.
Community fundraising – Organising your own fundraising event is a fun and rewarding way
for clubs, community groups and individuals to join the Yellow Van in the work of food
rescue. You can turn virtually anything you enjoy doing into a fundraiser whether it be
jumping on your bike and riding across Australia, holding a Trivia Night or hosting a dinner
party for your friends and family.
Volunteer – We have an active volunteer program and there are number of ways you can
utilise your skills and expertise to assist the Yellow Van, including:



assisting with the collection and delivery of food
administrative support
promotion and fundraising activities
In kind support - In-kind support is a great way to help the Yellow Van continue to rescue
food. You or your organisation can donate products and services for auction or raffle at our
public fundraising events or for the maintenance and operation of our vehicles.
HOW WE WILL USE YOUR DONATIONS
The Yellow Van has a very simple donation investment strategy. Every dollar donated
allows us to rescue enough food to deliver a meal. A twenty dollar donation will enable us
to rescue food at least 20 meals. It is that simple!

$25,000 Donation will enable to the Yellow Van to operate for a month and rescue
food for at least 25,000 meals.

$20,000 Donation will enable us to rescue enough food for a women’s refuge for an
entire year, over 20,000 meals.

$5,000 Donation will enable the Yellow Van to operate for a week and rescue food
for 5,000 meals.

$500 Donation will enable us to rescue enough food for a school breakfast program
for a month, 500 meals.

$50 Donation will enable us to rescue food for 50 meals

$10 Donation will enable us to rescue food for 10 meals
Contact Us:
If you believe in our work and would like to partner with us to rescue food for vulnerable
people in need, we invite you to contact the Yellow Van team.
Ph: (02) 6288 0709.
We know you care. Let your heart do the talking!
i
VIC Health, Healthy Eating – Food Security Investment Plan 2005 – 2010 (August 2005) available at
www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/~/media
ii
The Australian Institute 'What a waste – An Analysis of household expenditure on food' Nov 2009 D.
Baker, J. Fear, R. Denniss
iii
Based on CSIRO “Water for Food” - the continuing debate by Wayne Meyer 1997 – Yellow Van
conservative estimate based on mix of food types collected on average.
iv
Salvation Army – Street Count - http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/acthomeless-rate-skyrockets/1872076.aspx
v
CSIRO “Water for Food” - the continuing debate by Wayne Meyer 1997