A weekly donation of more than hundred punnets of fresh berries from the Costa Group is proving a hit with students attending school breakfast programs.
Loaves and Fishes State Operations Manager Faye Hodgetts said the response from schools had been overwhelming.
“I’ve had emails from schools saying that the children love the berries, with some students saying they had never tried the different varieties of berries, or not very recently,” Faye said.
“The schools are incredibly thankful and would take as many berries as we can supply.”
Costa berry farms, located in East Devonport, Wesley Vale, Dunorian, Lebrina and Sulphur Creek supply around 30 kg of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries each week for use in 16 school breakfast programs in the State’s North-West.
Loaves and Fishes collects the weekly berry bounty from Costa’s East Devonport distribution centre.
A small quantity is also transferred to the Loaves and Fishes kitchen for use in muffins, also used in the breakfast programs attracting hundreds of students each week.
The free breakfast program is available to all students from participating schools in response to reports of many students coming to school without breakfast due to time or financial pressures.
Loaves and Fishes supports 60 school breakfast programs statewide.
Schools receive a range of breakfast supplies including fruit, juice, water and milk, bread, cheese, butter and condiments, Milo, pancake mix and muffins.
This is the second year Costa has donated seasonal berries, with supply peaking during summer and continuing until mid-year.
By Paul O’Rourke
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