Last Friday 13 July, 220 associates volunteered a collective 1,500 hours to make a difference on farms, in schools and with community groups on the Central Coast.
Support included building and maintaining veggie gardens, improving cooking and dining facilities, supporting sustainability initiatives, and preparing and sharing meals with people across 30 organisations.
“At Mars Food we pride ourselves on bringing people together over food because in doing so we know we foster meaningful relationships that allow Australians to lead happier, healthier lives,” says Hamish Thomson, General Manager of Mars Food Australia (MFA).
“On top of this, there’s so much more we can do to build connections that improve the lives of those in need in our broader community.”
One organisation the Mars Food team is proud to support is Camp Breakaway, which provides a ‘holiday’ for adults and children with disabilities, high medical needs and rare disorders and their families, with trained carers and registered nurses offering support and care in an inclusive environment.
Mark Croser, an Operation Technician at MFA, led the volunteer team at Camp Breakaway for the second year in a row. As a parent of a child with Down syndrome who has visited Camp Breakaway, Mark knows first-hand that it can be hard for families and children to wind down and have a break in a supportive environment – and how valuable volunteers are to helping Camp Breakaway provide that opportunity.
“I love going to work every day, but there is something extra special about helping people and making people smile alongside your colleagues,” he says. “The Mars Volunteer Program is a big part of why I love working at Mars.”
In 2017 he started the volunteer work ahead of time at home – gathering supplies, building – to ensure the team could achieve more on the day of volunteering, and this year was no different. His team painted a cabin and repaired facilities, as well as prepared and shared a meal with Camp Breakaway’s hardworking staff and other volunteers.
“I’d encourage everyone to get involved in a volunteering experience, whether at work, school or in the community. Once you do one you will put your hand up for many more.”