Celebrating International Women’s Day – Lana Purcell

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Geelong Community Foundation is shining a light on some of the incredible women who are driving change and making a difference in the community sector, with women making up around 81% of the community sector workforce in Victoria.

 

Meet Lana Purcell, founder and CEO at Feed Me Bellarine

 

 

Every day at Feed Me we rescue from supermarkets, delis, bakeries, food distribution businesses and more, we take this food and we cook it into thousands of meals per week. We also stock a pay-as-you-go market available to anyone with a No Questions, No Agenda policy. You don’t have to prove that you are in need to come to Feed Me.

We are a community organisation run by the community to give access to food for people that need it. I personally manage all three locations in an administrative and managerial sense daily. I can do anything from rescuing food to cleaning the toilet to writing a grant submission to managing volunteers. And everything in between!

Not only do I manage I also cook, clean, counsel, support. And try to inspire everyone that I come in contact with.

 

Can you share your organisation vision, mission and purpose?

Our organisation’s mission is to rescue as much food heading to landfill. So to help in sustainability efforts of the region, but most importantly is to feed people that are in need mentally, physically, financially or in any way.

We do this with a No Questions, No Agenda motto.

Blurring the lines between those that have and those that have not, vulnerability is strength at Feed Me, me asking for help is strength.

What is the most significant highlight of your time in the role?

The most profound stories that we have are the volunteers that have come out of their shell, gained their self-esteem, felt accepted even while being vulnerable, scared and alone.

We don’t get to see all the stories of how we help people in their homes because we don’t ask questions but we do get to see the stories of people that come to us as a volunteer. Those that may be broken that build themselves back up by being surrounded by beautiful empathetic, vulnerable and strong people that can see that they’re broken but accept them anyway.

They then become stronger. Maybe still broken, but not lonely anymore in their lives and this brings out a happiness, a security and a person that they thought was missing.

Those are some of the most important stories of Feed Me.

Also knowing that we’re providing children with fruit and snacks for school lunches that they would never have had before is also a sad but beautiful thing that we get to accomplish.

What is your hope for the future of your organisation, and the wider Geelong Community?

My hope for Feed Me is that we just become part of everybody’s everyday life. Maybe one day we’ll have a Feed Me in every regional location that needs a real true sense of community, sustainability, empathy and care.

There will always be food waste. Food can always be rescued. We can create meals from that food. We can build a community around that completely. Everyone needs a Feed Me in town.

Do you have any advice for other/younger women, wither in general or with regards to working in the community/NFP Sector?

My advice would be to younger women in general is to find what you love. If it is a love that has a purpose then that is great, but really just find what you love and do that for your job. If you can… Don’t settle.