Think HQ has opened the Very Merry Pantry for 2024 to help people struggling over the holiday period.
The initiative was started in 2021 during COVID when many people were out of work and struggling to put food on the table. It was launched and previously run by Think HQ’s recent acquisition, LOUD, and is in its fourth successful year. The drive sees food gathered to be donated to Foodbank NSW & ACT and Foodbank VIC.
In its first year, the Very Merry Pantry donated 400 kilograms of food to Foodbank NSW & ACT. In its second year, one tonne of food was donated, and last year saw an impressive 1.5 tonnes going to help those in need. This year with the Very Merry Pantry now operating in New South Wales, as well as Victoria via Think HQ, with the cost-of-living crisis at an all-time high and an unsteady economy, the target is for three tonnes of food to be donated.
The idea behind the Very Merry Pantry’s original initiative in 2021 was that when so many people were doing it tough, instead of giving clients and suppliers gifts, they were ‘gifted’ them an empty cardboard box to fill up with non-perishable food and donate to Foodbank. This is exactly what Think HQ is doing this year.
“To facilitate the donation of three tonnes of food is a very big goal, but with the initiative now running across two states, and with the merger of LOUD and Think HQ, we have faith that as an agency and an industry collectively, we can absolutely do it. We just need as much help as possible,” Lorraine Jokovic, Sydney general manager at Think HQ, said.
“The Foodbank Hunger Report recently showed that 3.4 million households in Australia have run out of food in the last year and 1 in 3 households in NSW & ACT are still going hungry. Initiatives like Very Merry Pantry are more crucial than ever.”
Foodbank NSW & ACT head of partnerships and philanthropy, Janyne Hogan, said: “The need for support is greater than ever. Foodbank NSW & ACT is working tirelessly to ensure that no one goes hungry over the holidays, but we can’t do it alone. We rely on the generosity of our community to help us provide essential food and supplies to those in need, and we’re so grateful to Think HQ for their ongoing generosity and commitment to supporting people in our communities this holiday period.
“We know that the holiday period is a tough time for many Australians, particularly those in our communities struggling to put a meal on the table or trying to fill hungry bellies during school holidays. So, we tell our community that every contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant difference.”