What a gift!
In November, the 83-year-old owner of Manic Organic in Woonona made a remarkable donation to a local charity – Phil gifted his whole business to Need a Feed. Need a Feed founder Shaz Harrison said it was “amazing news” and would mean all the...
For years, generous locals have been donating food to Need a Feed. Now one man has gone further – he’s given the charity an entire grocery shop.
In November, the 83-year-old owner of Manic Organic in Woonona made a remarkable donation to a local charity – Phil gifted his whole business to Need a Feed.
Need a Feed founder Shaz Harrison said it was “amazing news” and would mean all the profits from retail sales would go directly to the charity.
Manic Organic stocks fresh organic produce, a range of organic grocery items and organic bread.
It is now also a storage space for non-perishable food, a place for Shaz and her team to pack food gifts for distribution to their charity partners.
Shaz kindly took time to tell us more.
When did you find out that Need a Feed had been given a shop and how did you feel?
I found out the exciting news when I was at the shop cooking the Illawarra’s best pie, our famous Saltbush lamb and organic veggie pie.
Phil told me that he would like to ‘gift’ the Manic Organic business to Need a Feed as he was moving away to purchase a farm (this coming from an 83-year-old!).
I met Phil around seven years ago at a Need a Feed fundraising barbecue and he has been supportive ever since.
Giving Manic Organic to Need a Feed made him feel so proud and knowing that Need a Feed could grow and help more people throughout the Illawarra was a huge incentive for him.
I was so grateful for his generosity.
How hard have the Covid years been for your charity?
The past two years have been challenging for Need a Feed as the demand for our service has increased. More and more people, due to Covid, have found themselves in financial and emotional hardship, situations that they never dreamed could happen to them. Thankfully we have had support from our amazing community in the way of private donations and collecting food for us to distribute.
We have also been successful with two Wollongong City Council grants, which have assisted Need a Feed with purchasing non-perishable food.
How have you coped with the challenges?
The demand for our service has definitely increased due to Covid. We have been forced to re-evaluate the way we distribute food to help meet this demand. Our new process has seen us increase our food distribution to over 400 food gifts, fresh meals and personal care packs each month.
Our charity partner base has increased to over 27 local charities who give items directly to people who need them most.
What will Phil’s gift mean for Need a Feed’s future?
This amazing gift will allow Need a Feed to hold a solid base for distribution, with room for expansion. We are now able to include fresh organic produce into our distribution model, helping our charity partners, some who cook for 80-100 people five days a week. This extra supply of food will help them to meet the demand.
Future plans from our new location include: basic cooking and barista courses for people in need. This new chapter and opportunity opens up
a whole world of possibilities for Need a Feed and we are excited to see what the future brings!
What’s on the shelves this month?
In stock each week we have our extremely tasty, fresh certified organic produce – most has been picked the day before it reaches us. We have general grocery items and fridge items, including organic milk, organic eggs, organic cheeses, sauerkraut and more!
Manic Organic is at 1/409 Princes Highway, Woonona; 4285 9875, www.manicorganicwoonona.com.au
