Nelson Alexander Foundation Day 2023 – Supporting Our Community to Provide Food Relief

Since 2005, the Nelson Alexander Charitable Foundation has been unwavering in its dedication to giving back to the communities we proudly call home.

Our vision for this year's Foundation Day was to make a tangible impact on the lives of those affected by food insecurity, by directing all funds raised by each of our offices donating the professional fee from one of their auctions to a local food relief initiative.

This year, on Saturday, 9th September, we proudly raised $245,581 to deliver meaningful responses to organisations working to combat food insecurity within our communities.

Our commitment to supporting local causes has always been at the core of our values, and Foundation Day holds a special place in our hearts as it exemplifies this dedication.

Office: Ascot Vale

Auction Property: 12 Waratah Street, Ascot Vale

Supporting: Helping Hands Mission

Donation: $18,409

Helping Hands Mission supports hundreds of vulnerable families every week. This local charity provides emergency and material aid in the form of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food, and other essentials.

Office: Brunswick

Auction Property: 98 Evans Street, Brunswick

Supporting: Our Lady Help of Christians

Donation: $17,931

Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School in East Brunswick is a vibrant school community catering to inner-city families, with a current enrollment of just over 320 students. They will be using the funds to create a community kitchen garden.

Office: Carlton North

Auction Property: 11/545-549 Nicholson Street, Carlton North

Supporting: Melbourne City Mission – Hester Hornbrook Academy

Donation: $15,750

The Hester Hornbrook Academy provides an innovative educational program for youth aged 15-21 with mental health challenges, offering enhanced wraparound support. Funding will facilitate a nutritious meals program throughout their 40-week school year.

Office: Coburg

Auction Property: 179 The Avenue, Coburg

Supporting: Eat Up

Donation: $18,409

Assisted by corporate partners and committed volunteers, Eat Up produces and delivers thousands of fresh sandwiches and donated snacks directly to schools, aiding the 1 in 5 Australian children facing hunger.

Office: Commercial

Auction Property: Fixed Sale/Lease Fee

Supporting: Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA)

Donation: $10,000

The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) is a state-wide Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) that serves children, young people, families, and community members. VACCA’s emergency food relief program is an important service for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria as it provides immediate food relief in a culturally safe, judgement-free space.

Office: Essendon

Auction Property: 14 Roland Avenue, Strathmore

Supporting: Northpoint Centre

Donation: $22,500

Northpoint offers food relief to individuals and families facing challenges, regardless of their background or personal circumstances. They do so with compassion, enabling community members to achieve a higher quality of living than they might otherwise experience.

Office: Fitzroy

Auction Property: 213 Gore Street, Fitzroy

Supporting: FareShare

Donation: $29,875

FareShare operates the largest charity kitchens in Australia, where rescued, donated and grown food is cooked and transformed into nutritious meals for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. Their healthy meals are given away free to frontline charities such as soup vans, homeless shelters, women’s refuges, First Nations organisations and groups providing disaster relief.

Office: Flemington

Auction Property: 4 Marshall Street, Flemington

Supporting: The Venny

Donation: $12,000

The Venny is a supervised backyard for children and young people living in the North Melbourne and Flemington public housing and the broader community. They feed children and young people each day, grow their own fruit and vegetables and distribute food packs on a weekly basis to families in need.

Office: Ivanhoe

Auction Property: 12 Pilgrim Court, Rosanna

Supporting: Farm Raiser

Donation: $14,772

Founded in 2018 with ambitious aspirations, Farm Raiser set out to make a positive mark on the local food system. Since its inception, they have delivered free of charge veggie boxes every week to families that can't afford to purchase the food that they grow. These free-of-charge vegie boxes are supported by selling their produce to local restaurants and grocery stores.

Office: Keilor East

Auction Property: 60 Phillip Road, Keilor East

Donation: $13,786

Supporting: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)

Foundation Day funds will be donated to the ASRC Foodbank, which currently provides free groceries to around 600 people every fortnight, most of whom have no income and no work rights in Australia. Around half of the recipients are children.

Office: Kew

Auction Property: 26/380 High Street, Kew

Supporting: It’s The Little Things Community

Donation: $13,000

"It's the Little Things Community" is a charitable organisation providing home-style meals to the vulnerable, including those escaping domestic violence, the homeless, and families with seriously ill children within the Boroondara community.

Office: Northcote

Auction Property: 100 Wilmoth Street, Thornbury

Supporting: Thornbury Primary School

Donation: $14,625

Thornbury Primary School will be supported to improve food security within their diverse school community. They currently offer a breakfast programme but will use the funds to establish a community garden to use as both a source of food and a teaching tool.

Office: Pascoe Vale

Auction Property: 1/5-7 Downs Street, Pascoe Vale

Supporting: Pets of the Homeless

Donation: $14,000

Pets of the Homeless offers food, veterinary care, and assistance to the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness. Recognising the tendency of those facing homelessness to prioritise their pets' hunger and needs over their own, Pets of the Homeless strives to alleviate this concern by providing a free food pantry. Their mission revolves around keeping pets and their owners together during challenging times.

Office: Preston

Auction Property: 36 Scotia Street, Preston

Supporting: Oakhill Food Justice Farm

Donation: $14,772

Oakhill Farm, nestled in the heart of Preston, serves as a community space and food forest. As part of the 'food is free' initiative, the entire harvest cultivated on-site is shared among Oakhill farmers and distributed through food relief initiatives.

Office: Reservoir

Auction Property: 6 Lake Street, Reservoir

Supporting: Big Group Hug

Donation: $15,750

Big Group Hug is a community-focused organisation dedicated to addressing childhood poverty. They sought funding to purchase specialist Infant Formula to distribute to disadvantaged families in Melbourne who cannot afford to provide this essential, yet cost-prohibitive, nutrition for their newborns and infants.

We can only achieve results like these with your ongoing support and thank you for providing us with the opportunity to do so. Together, we can make a difference.

If you'd like to learn more about our Charitable Foundation, please click here.