Q&A with Need a Feed's founder

Susan Luscombe chats to Shaz Harrison, founder

What is Need a Feed?

Need a Feed is a local charity partnering with other service providers by providing emergency food ‘gifts’ to people in need throughout the Illawarra. Our service is designed to connect people with services and provide emergency food ‘gifts’ to those who are facing a variety of challenging situations e.g. fleeing domestic violence and literally have nothing.

We also operate a mobile coffee van, Need a Coffee, in Globe Lane each week where we provide more than just coffee: our volunteers have had thousands of hours of meaningful conversation and provide an all-inclusive space for people with addictions, the vulnerable and the homeless. The Need a Coffee van is available to attend events, which are a major source of fundraising, 100% of profits go right back into our community service.

Our volunteers also collect food from local collection points and wholesalers and redistribute to organisations, some centres feeding between 80 to 100 people per day.

We rely on private financial donations and sponsorships to continue our community service as we are not government funded.

Our mission is to empower, connect and provide food to those in the community who are facing tough life challenges.

Some of our partners are: Bulli Community Centre; Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre; Wollongong City Council; Wollongong Local Police; SAHHSI; FACS; Mission Australia; NSW Health; Illawarra Koori Men’s Support Group.

What led you to start it?

I started Need a Feed due to my personal experience. There was a time in my life where I struggled to put food on the table and didn’t know how to access help [and] I suffered in silence.

of Need A Feed (and Need A Coffee)

I made the decision to start Need a Feed so I could help others by providing connection to other services and empower people to take responsibility and create a positive mindset whilst providing as much support as possible.

In the beginning it was my mum and I who delivered food to people who needed it. Over the years the demand has increased and we found that people wanted to join in so we recruited volunteers to help meet that demand.

The people we help are facing some tricky situations, so due to work, health and safety considerations for our volunteers, our business model has developed into what it is today, where we now partner with other charities who are working directly with those in need.

Need a Feed has been operating for over 10 years now and has provided purpose for the people we assist and our volunteers.

Who are you helping?

We are helping families, the homeless and lonely, domestic violence survivors, people with mental health issues and those on a low income.

How can people help you?

We are community supported and rely on private financial donations and sponsorships to continue our much-needed service throughout the Illawarra. Our primary need is financial assistance because without this support we simply cannot continue. The community can also donate non-perishable food at any of our food collection points.

Please help us financially to serve the community by donating.

For any further information or to sponsor please contact shaz@needafeed.org