About Love For Australia
What is our purpose and mission?
Love For Australia was established to ensure food help is provided quickly and easily to those who need it, enabling people to shop with dignity in their time of financial distress. Our main purpose is to help families save money on food and basic essentials. With the rising cost of living, more and more Australians are finding themselves struggling to make ends meet. When families access free groceries from our store, the money saved can help them allocate funds towards bills and other expenses and regain financial stability more quickly. However to us, it's more than just about providing food. Sometimes it's about offering a listening ear or a word of encouragement during life’s toughest moments, reminding people that they are not alone and someone cares for them.
What services do we offer?
Our service is designed to give immediate food relief and temporary support during people’s time of need which was brought on by an emergency, disaster or unexpected circumstance.
FREE GROCERY STORE - Location: 1/4A Foundry Rd Seven Hills NSW 2147 - Open Monday to Friday by appointment only. - Our store is stocked with fruit and vegetables, bread, milk, pantry items, personal hygiene items and pet food.
FREE BREAD CABINET - Location: 1/4A Foundry Rd Seven Hills NSW 2147 - Available 24 hours Monday to Saturday (while stocks last)
OFF-SITE FOOD HELP - Supporting local schools with their student breakfast programs. - Delivering bread to residents of Myrtle Glen Retirement Village Stanhope Gardens. - Delivering one-off emergency food hampers to clients of NSW Health.
Who do we help?
The people we assist come from various walks of life:
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Domestic violence (relocation)
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Homeless / Risk of homelessness
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Medical condition/disability
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Pensioners
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Refugees
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Single parents on low income
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Struggling with cost of living
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Unemployed
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Victims of natural disaster
Working together to help the community
We work with other support services, charities and schools within the community to broaden our impact and help more individuals and families in need.
We collaborate with the following organisations to assist their clients with food: - Ability Options - Anglicare - Carevan Blacktown - Connectability Care Services - Cumberland Womens Healthcare centre - DCJ (NSW Department of Communities and Justice) - Expert Care Services - Family and Carers Mental Health Program - Flourish Australia - Harman Foundation - Integral Home Care - JJJ Gentle Support Care - Junaya Family Development Service - Kairos Care - Mackillop Family Services - Manaakitanga Services - Mission Australia - Neami National Seven Hills - New Life Support Services - Parramatta Community Health Service - SAGE Community Services - Services of Support - Seven Hills West Public School - Shining Light Foundation - The Jeremiah Project - The Way Back Service - Thriving Families - Uniting (Commonwealth Psychosocial Support - CPS) - Wesley Mission - Family Preservation - Western Area Adolescent Team (WAAT) - Western Sydney Local Health District - Western Sydney Services - Wyndham College
Our Vision
Our vision is to eliminate food insecurity for all Australians.
We see Australia as a nation where every individual and family has access to food, and no one goes to bed hungry.
Charity History
Love For Australia was established in 2012 with the aim of supporting those in financial crisis across various communities in Australia.
Initially, our focus was on supporting indigenous families in the Darug area and pensioners living in a retirement village in Stanhope Gardens NSW with essential groceries and household items.
Over time, our efforts expanded to help a broader range of people dealing with financial difficulties.
When the Windsor and Richmond floods struck in early 2020, we began distributing food boxes to those impacted. Subsequently, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020-2021, we began delivering groceries to families in isolation, operating out of our humble home.
Towards the end of 2021, as COVID-19 cases decreased and restrictions lifted, we began planning our next project. Recognising that not everyone may use or like everything in a pre-packed food box/hamper we decided to open the Love For Australia Store.
This store allows people to shop with dignity where customers can select the groceries they need, ultimately reducing food wastage.
The Love For Australia store officially opened its doors to the public on 1st January 2022, marking a new chapter in our journey of assisting those in need.
Founding Family
About the LEE Family
The Lee family had humble beginnings. Founders Esther & James migrated to Australia from Indonesia in 1981.
They experienced first hand the struggles that many individuals and families face when they are in financial crisis. They experienced the feelings of uncertainty, fear and worry of not being able to provide for their loved ones, not knowing where their next dollar would come from.
Having walked in these shoes and overcoming many of life's challenges, the Lee family committed to extending a hand of compassion and support to those who are facing similar challenges.
ANIMATION
Many people ask... Why are you doing this? How do you get the funding?
Florence Lee-Gunawan
"The short answer is... GOD!
As a family, we have experienced first hand how God has helped us through life's toughest moments, so we wanted to pay it forward and use the blessings that God has given us to bless others."