Speeches
Friday, 09 May 2025
Foodbank SA&NT Women of Influence Lunch
As Foodbank patron, it is my great pleasure to join you.
I was delighted to hear of the launch today of your Innovate Reconciliation Plan.
Each year I am heartened to see so many women – and men! - take this opportunity to support Foodbank, and to learn from some of South Australia’s most accomplished women.
2025 marks 25 years of Foodbank’s operations in our state – a quarter century of providing sustenance to vulnerable South Australians.
While Foodbank’s contribution has grown steadily over this time, so has demand for its services.
In February last year, during a reception for Foodbank supporters, I spoke about the 135,000 South Australians per month who were accessing Foodbank services.
By November, during a radio interview for the Foodbank Annual Appeal, I said that figure was now 150,000 – where it remains today.
I thank Foodbank’s board, staff and volunteers for rising to this challenge, providing more food than ever before.
In the past 12 months, the organisation distributed enough food for 10.2 million meals.
Foodbank is also reaching more South Australians than ever before, through support for local community food hubs in regional areas such as Oodnadatta in our Far North.
These are outstanding achievements, made possible by the contributions of generous supporters.
When Foodbank provides people with food, it does more than resolve their immediate hunger.
Whether through empathy or from personal experience, I think we all know that the only thing worse than going through hard times is going through hard times alone.
Foodbank helps people to feel cared for, valued and respected – all extremely important to our mental health, as Nadia Clancy, the Premier’s Advocate for Suicide Prevention and one of our panellists, knows well.
Friends,
Today’s theme is ‘Women of Influence’.
In addition to our panel of influential women, I encourage everyone here today to think of yourselves as ‘influential’ - especially in terms of your capacity for giving.
According to Philanthropy Australia, women tend to be very socially conscious, lead the giving in their families, and focus on communities they care about.
And with women’s wealth growing steadily over the past decade[1], the opportunities for women’s giving have never stronger.
I thank all the women here today for supporting Foodbank, and in doing so, helping to create positive change in our community.
I wish you all an enjoyable day.