Peel Foodbank is feeling cool as a cucumber now their new $12,500 fruit and veggie fridge has arrived.
Branch manager Megan Reynolds described the fridge as similar to the ones Coles or Woolworths use to store their fresh food.
Early this year the Peel Foodbank began fundraising and saving for the fridge, to slow the spoiling of the fresh produce they are donated, and improve the display for their “shoppers”.
“Previously it was… sitting out unrefrigerated, so from a perspective of how fruit and veg need to be kept, it’s not really good for the longevity of it," Ms Reynolds said.
As well as in-house fundraising, local groups the Mandurah Districts Rotary Club, a Lions group, and the Hash House Harriers have all done their bit to pitch in.
“Megan gave us a presentation at our club one night on what Foodbank was doing, and she was talking about the need for this refrigerator, but she was still in the process of fundraising,” Phil Brown from the Mandurah Districts Rotary Club said.
They decided to contribute $15,000 towards the fridge raised from their local fundraising drives, including the annual Mandurah Duck Race, the weekend swap meets held at Halls Head Shopping Centre, and more.
Ms Reynolds said after having the fridge for only two weeks she had noticed a huge difference.
“It’s hard to keep full because it all just keeps going out the door, it displays everything so lovely, and it’s keeping everything nice and fresh,” she said.
That will be especially important in summer, she added, when the warehouse gets rather hot.
A large amount of their fresh produce is donated from ALDI and Woolworths, when they have produce out of code or surplus.
They also receive some from the Bunbury Foodbank, which receives surplus produce from local orchards.
“People who are in financial hardship, low income earners, families, single mothers, they’re able to come through and able to get those goods they can’t maybe get,” Ms Reynolds said.
