A local charity organisation has said its new corporate partnership “means the world” to its workers and volunteers.
Melbourne Airport and Helping Hands Mission, with locations in Sunshine and Airport West, announced the new five-year partnership on Friday 21 November.
As part of the deal, Melbourne Airport will donate $30,000 annually for five years, and commit to a new five-year corporate volunteer program.
Helping Hands Mission chief executive Melanie Gill said the partnership will offer security for the future.
“To have a big business want to support a hands-on charity means the world to our team, especially our volunteers. It’s recognition for all the hard work they do,” she said.
“Running a food pantry is expensive. It costs us about $3 million dollars a year. And we’re lucky that we’re relatively self-sufficient.”
The community pantries are supported by the op shops which are visited by around 1200 people a day.
“Demand [for food] is super high at the moment so to have some funding locked in for five years, that just makes an enormous difference.”
Melbourne Airport previously donated $15,000 to renovate the Helping Hands space in Sunshine.
“There’s a lot of need in Brimbank. In Sunshine there’s a lot of younger families with kids who need support,” Ms Gill said.
The corporate volunteer program will allow airport staff to be paid by their employer to work specific days at Helping Hands Mission.
“It’s literally helping hands,” Ms Gill said.
“We want to make sure they get a hands-on experience that reflects who we are as an organisation.”
