OzHarvest & CHILL partnership News

A van can go a long way – just ask the OzHarvest team.

Chill has been a major sponsor of the Australian food charity’s Mobile Market since February 2021, providing vans and cool rooms to help volunteers keep produce fresher for longer as it travels to regional towns.

The mobile market has been visiting northern and southern NSW regional towns since 2020, dropping off fresh fruit, vegetables, and groceries to families doing it tough.

The impact has been staggering – in just 18 months, Chill’s contribution has helped OzHarvest deliver nearly 205,000kgs of healthy food and 40,000 hampers and connect with nearly 20,000 community members across 980 pop-up markets and drops.

Paul Kelly sang it best when he said, “from little things, big things grow” – and this sustainable partnership has truly blossomed.

We recently extended our collaboration with OzHarvest, signing up a van to its yellow Food Rescue fleet, designed to divert food from waste. On a typical day, the Chill van rescues around 650kgs of good food from landfills, helping to put it on the tables of people who need it most.

This evolving partnership comes at a time when let’s face it, many Australians are doing it tough. With cost-of-living on the rise, impacting everything from petrol to grocery prices, and interest rates spiralling, households across Australia are struggling to manage – and they’re turning to charities like OzHarvest for support.

OzHarvest recently clocked up its 50 millionth donated meal, with many seeking out OzHarvest’s donations to combat supply chain pressures, which have created a severe shortage in fresh produce.

It’s the stories of this food making its way to homeless shelters, school kids, and the elderly that tugs at the heartstrings – and is the reason why these charitable partnerships are part of our core business.

Not only do we get all the #goodvibes from seeing our donation have real-life impact, but the partnership aligns with our ethos of doing cool things better and finding ways to operate with heart.

Doing good should be a business imperative – the residents’ feedback is enough for us to continue our efforts. We’re now looking at other ways to get involved, including participating in OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause, and transforming food into gourmet meals.

Read more about our partnership with OzHarvest here or get involved via ozharvest.com.au