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OUR SUPERMARKETS ON A BUS - DELIVERING FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD FOR ALL.
AS PART OF FOODBANK’S COVID-19 RESPONSE, WE PARTNERED WITH KINETIC TO CREATE OUR NEW MOBILE SUPERMARKET BUSES: ‘DOROTHY’, IN RECOGNITION OF LONG-TIME FOODBANK BOARD MEMBER AND CHAIR DOROTHY COOMBE, AND ‘DAVE’ NAMED AFTER OUR CEO, DAVE MCNAMARA.
SINCE ‘DOROTHY’ FIRST HIT THE ROAD IN NOVEMBER 2021, THE BUSES HAVE DISTRIBUTED 79,920 KILOS OF FOOD TO FAMILIES...
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The giant articulated buses were donated by Kinetic after being forced out of service by COVID-19 restrictions. Not only did Kinetic generously help cover ongoing costs, but bus manufacturer Volgren jumped on board to help with engineering and fit out costs to make them a fit-for-purpose, mobile food pantry.
Far from simply gutting the buses of a ‘normal’ passenger interior and sending them out on the road, the team at Volgren faced unique challenges in adapting them for Foodbank’s needs.
As well as installing coolers and refrigeration units—and under-floor generators to power them—massive steel reinforcements were added to their chassis to transform them from passenger buses to mobile supermarket pantries, capable of safely holding up to 400kg of food on the shelving. This was no mean feat in the heat of a pandemic, with materials and labour in short supply.
The bus exteriors are also emblazoned with our very own volunteer Mike Adey’s eye-catching ‘Angel’ decals, a warm surprise for families when our Mobile Supermarkets pull up and park in community spaces.
Driven in a voluntary capacity by Kinetic employees, the Mobile Supermarkets are making a difference in the community by enabling us to extend our capabilities in terms of both reach and offering. We craft each trip to reflect the needs of diverse cultural communities across the city. Not only do they look great—they bring real energy and positivity wherever they go.
Since ‘Dorothy’ first hit the road in November 2021, the buses have distributed 79,920 kilos of food to families in some of the most disadvantaged and hard to reach communities across metropolitan Melbourne.
