The Food is Life Project (FiL) is a young project that began in 2025. It is a wonderful collaboration between Maitland Family Support, Slow Food Hunter Valley and the Rotary Club of Maitland Sunrise. The project is built on partnership, shared values and a practical desire to help people. SFHV volunteers help to manage this project, collect to food, connect with the families, promote the project and keep an eye on the data.
The project operates every Tuesday from the Maitland Family Support Inc. in Woodberry. SFHV and Rotary volunteers attend on alternate weeks from around 10.30am until 1.30pm. The food is collected from Foodbank, Nebo Farm, SecondBite and Just Been Laid. There are a number of other groups who support this project too. The fresh food and groceries are set out on tables and families come through and collect what they want. Around 45 families a week attend and the volunteers chat with the families as they come through, building community connection.
This project is about dignity and consistency and it is growing, driven by need. The logo of a brainy broccoli perfectly illustrates what it is all about.
