By Molly Magennis
Foodbank has been trialing a new mobile supermarket, which is set to be rolled out full time next year.
The double-length mobile supermarket buses are the result of a joint partnership between Foodbank and Kinetic who own Skybus, an airport bus service in Melbourne.
“They weren’t using them anymore because there was no one going to the airport. So we got together with them and they fitted them out like a supermarket, with a fridge and freezer in there and a shopping aisle,” chief communications officer Matt Tilley said.
The new buses have been driving around metro Melbourne, to places like Bundoora and St Albans, delivering food to people who are in need and perhaps don’t have a car or access to public transport.
Mr Tilley emphasised that the buses allow people a sense of dignity, as they give them the experience of shopping in an actual supermarket, instead of just receiving a hamper with food that might not be suitable.
“We give them the dignity and choice of being able to choose what they would like to eat rather than just getting a hamper and a box of possibly things they’re not used to or perhaps things that aren’t culturally, they’re not inclined to eat,” he said
“I think people find [the buses] just look so amazing and they’re clean and bright and shiny with funky artwork, they love it, it’s a bit of an adventure.”
“The food is beautiful and fresh, it’s certainly not second quality vegetables and fruit, it’s all yogurts and rice and pasta that you would see in the supermarket. It’s quite a lovely experience for them even though they are finding themselves in really hard times.”
