ABOUT FAWKNER COMMONS
Fawkner was a Covid-19 hotspot outbreak suburb in 2020 and was subject to the northern-suburbs lockdown in June. It is also the most food insecure suburb in Moreland.
Fawkner Commons is a Covid-19 response food hub operating out of the Fawkner Bowling Club in the community of Fawkner (north of Melbourne). Co-founded by Jen Rae and partner Sally Beattie (Fawkner Food Bowls), Fawkner Commons is a not-for-profit, community-led, food distribution hub working with local and small-scale food producers to provide accessible fresh food through contactless pick-up and delivery. Along with food box provisioning, Fawkner Commons aims to foster social inclusion, social cohesion and community resilience through pay-it-forward initiatives, meal programs, volunteering and community activities, partnerships, collaborations and advocacy.
Fawkner Commons was launched in May 2020 in partnership with The Community Grocer and Fawkner Bowling Club with support from the Open Food Network, Moreland Council and the Victorian State Government.
Between May-December, we distributed over $110K worth of fresh produce and essentials via our food box program; 2400 prepared meals (via Natalie Abboud’s Soup Kitchen, Lentil as Anything Pop-up and Humpday Take-Away); 1525 no-cost food hampers; and, raised over $10K through our pay-it-forward programs including ‘small batch’, PiF bunches and ‘humpday take-away’. In September, we collaboratively launched Morefood for Moreland fundraising campaign to support localised food relief in the northern suburbs of Moreland, with CIS Moreland and the Community Grocer with support from the Inner North Foundation, Moreland Council and Untitled Creations.
Find Fawkner Commons on Facebook and Instagram
See us in The Age - that’s us in the Fawkner Food Bowls garden with a write-up under ‘community’
Jen Rae was awarded the 2020 Moreland Community Partnerships Award for Fawkner Commons in September 2020.
Fawkner Commons - Open Food Network online shop
