User:WWGB/Gift of Bread

Gift of Bread is an Australian food rescue charitable organisation based in Sydney. Volunteers collect leftover bread products from bakeries. It is then sliced and packaged, and distributed to those who need it.

History
Gift of Bread began in 2007 when one person collected the leftover bread each Friday from a local Bakers Delight store. As more volunteers and bakeries joined the program, it grew significantly. By 2016, Gift of Bread was processing and delivering 180,000 bags of bread per year.

In 2016, in recognition of the importance of the project, Canterbury League Club donated a Toyota HiAce van to Gift of Bread. This meant there was less reliance on volunteer's vehicles, and bread could be collected and distributed more quickly and efficiently.

Community leader Dr George Peponis noted that “bread may seem like a simple item but it is a staple in many diets; every culture has some form of bread in their cuisine so not only is it nourishing, it is also unifying in the fact that everyone has a basic right to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being”.

Business process
At the end of the day, volunteers collect surplus bread and bakery products from retail bakeries across the Inner West of Sydney. Products are then transported to a processing and distribution centre. The main centre is located in Marrickville, New South Wales, with more than ten other distribution centres and minor hubs.

Bread loaves are sliced and packed, and rolls and bakery products are packaged uniformly. The resulting packages are provided free of charge to charitable organisations, boarding houses, nursing homes, community groups, schools, churches, outreach programs and individuals.

Major beneficiaries of Gift of Bread include the Exodus Foundation, Australian Red Cross, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and Youth Off The Streets.