LEARN more about the Power to End Hunger campaign above on PTV. Can't view the video? Watch on YouTube
PORT Adelaide players exercised their POWER TO END HUNGER this week. And this Saturday night the club’s members and supporters get their turn, at AAMI Stadium.
Danyle Pearce, Jackson Trengove, Alipate Carlile and Brett Ebert spent Tuesday night working alongside the volunteers who keep Fred’s Van on the street, feeding the city’s homeless and disadvantaged.
”It’s really been a privilege,” Pearce said of the experience.
“To come out here and have a chat with people and give someone something as simple as a meal to eat has been touching. Just to sit down with them and talk about footy and talk about life. To see the smile on their faces when you give them a cup of coffee really has been wonderful.”
The St Vincent de Paul Society operates seven Fred’s Van services across Adelaide, providing nutritious food and blankets for the needy.
[ Related: Your 'Opportunity' to End Hunger ]
St Vincent de Paul is among 600 charity groups, welfare agencies and other organisations that are supplied with food by Foodbank, Port Adelaide’s joint major partner from 2012.
The players, along with team-mates Travis Boak, David Rodan and Jacob Surjan, also visited Foodbank’s Edwardstown warehouse where the organisation stores the food it sources from companies and other donors.
Port Adelaide and Foodbank will celebrate their unique partnership at Saturday night’s game against Carlton, with the unveiling of the corporate sponsors who are backing the scheme.
We will also launch the Can of Opportunity fundraiser, inviting spectators to donate their spare change to help fill empty cans of Opportunity to turn them into something substantial to help combat hunger in our community.
Hundreds of cans of Opportunity will also be given away following the game, with supporters asked to fill them and return them at any Power home game during the remainder of the 2012 season.
Pearce, Trengove and Carlile followed the food from Foodbank to St Vincent de Paul’s Hawthorn kitchen where they helped volunteers prepare the evening meal, before joining them at the regular city location where they served more than 100 clients.
Pearce said the players, like many people, couldn’t imagine what it was like to not know where your next meal is coming from.
“You’d hate to ever go through it, you’d hate to wish it on anyone, but to know there are people out there who really do care and want to help it’s great to know that,” Pearce said.
“Sitting at home in the warm on your couch you’ve got no idea what it’s like out here. It’s been eye-opening and it’s been a great experience.”
See photos below of the players helping to serve meals with Fred's Van.
