Every week since 1988 we have provided hundreds of disadvantaged people in Sydney with affordable fresh fruit and vegetables with "goodness in a box" and a friendly chat. The demand outstrips our capacity to assist so we need YOU to help. Meet some of them (names changed):

• Jocelyn lives alone and independently despite her acquired brain injury from an accident and just 70% vision. Without a box of fruit and vegetables delivered and unpacked in her kitchen she might forget to shop and find it hard to plan what to buy or remember to cook something healthy. Since starting the service she has decided to come and volunteer packing boxes with us once a week.

• Min has lived with schizophrenia since a young adult. He had been living independently for the last ten years with two stints in hospital, the last time triggered when his mother whom he was caring for died.  Two months ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and says that his boxes of fruit and vegetables are helping him to stay alive and deal with the treatment he is undergoing.

• Valentina's husband left her 32 years ago when her son was one - he has cerebral palsy. She's cared for him ever since but now things are getting too much for after a hip replacement and suffering from foot drop as a rare complication. She can't drive any more or walk far, and is so tired she can't even think about shopping or what to cook and had not been eating well or cooking healthy meals for her son until our service started.

These are just a few stories:

• 5% of Australians experience personal food insecurity and it is growing

• 2.2 million Australians live in poverty

• More than 98% of Australians do not eat enough fruit and vegetables

What do we do?

Since 1988 we have hand delivered over 33,600 meals to people in need of access to nutritious, affordable fresh produce to enable them to maintain their goals of a healthy lifestyle living in the community.

We purchase wholesale fruit and vegetables and pack them with community volunteer help into individual client boxes. Qualified staff deliver them to disadvantaged older people, those living with a disability and their carers. Demand is more than we can keep up with and beyond our government funding.  

What can YOU do?

You can help neighbours like Jocelyn, Min and Valentina to continue living independently and well in their community:

• $25 pays for a one subsidised box of fresh fruit and veg to be delivered to someone's kitchen with a friendly chat
• $100 pays a month's worth of affordable fruit and vegetables for a person in need
• $220 buys petrol for one of our trucks to deliver to around 400 people in a fortnight
• $1,000 enables 10 volunteers to be trained to each help someone to cook at home weekly for six months
• $80,000 buys us a new refrigerated truck as our two are 16 years old

Join us at www.fdn.org.au to see more about how we'll spend your gift and to stay in touch.

Are donations tax deductible?

Yes, for over $2

Will I receive a receipt for my gift?

Yes, immediately sent to you by email when approved.