Arc Infrastructure helps fuel change

Arc Infrastructure has announced their continued commitment to Foodbank WA and the Wheatbelt region with a renewed partnership for the next three years. This investment builds on Arc Infrastructure’s ongoing efforts to help families experiencing food insecurity in the Wheatbelt. 

Being such a widespread region, a huge barrier to food relief is travel to access essential provisions. Nutrition education can also be difficult and expensive to deliver face-to-face due to travel distances.” 

More than a thousand food hampers have been distributed in Merredin, Northam, Wagin and Wyalkatchem in the last year thanks to our partnership with Arc Infrastructure. Recognising the cost to transport food to the region, Arc has also funded freight costs to support the delivery of hampers to organisations servicing the community. It’s an organisation which genuinely cares about the community they operate in,” said Kate O’Hara, CEO Foodbank WA. 

Arc Infrastructure has been a long-term supporter of Foodbank WA, which commenced with a needs assessment into the Wheatbelt region to identify the degree of food relief required and a potential model which would best serve the residents in need of food assistance in the area.  

Since then, Arc Infrastructure has played a pivotal role in helping us deliver specific and catered food relief into the Wheatbelt by way of food hampers and assisting to fund nutrition education and cooking sessions. 

The addition of Arc Infrastructure’s support of nom! – Foodbank WA’s nutrition education and cooking program – has spread their impact even wider in the region. This program delivers information developed to improve the knowledge, confidence, and skills of Western Australians to support healthy eating, food literacy and help decrease food insecurity.  

Throughout the year, 125 participants benefited from nom! sessions. These education sessions have not only impacted families but have also created stronger networks with Community Resource Centres, Schools and with Aboriginal Women’s groups Keedac and Shooting Stars.

We are very thankful for our longstanding relationship with Arc Infrastructure. Their commitment to the Wheatbelt region reflects their belief in the potential of regional communities thriving when given the right support. We will work closely with Arc to ensure that the right support is directed to where it will have the greatest impact,” Kate O’Hara continued. 

Arc Infrastructure CEO Murray Cook said the company was keen to support the food nutrition education and food assistance hampers in the Wheatbelt region and surrounding communities where Arc operates.

Foodbank WA directly benefits many of the communities in which Arc Infrastructure operates as the manager of the State’s rail freight network, so we are pleased to provide ongoing support for our Principal Partner,” Murray Cook said.

The remote regions of the Wheatbelt represent a unique and challenging landscape. With support from Arc Infrastructure, delivering food relief and nutrition education to multiple communities in the region has helped to build a stronger community and their continued support ensures that the most vulnerable families are not left behind. Over the next three years, Arc Infrastructure hopes to distribute a further 3,000 hampers.

For more information about food relief please call the Emergency Relief and Food Access service on 1800 979 777.