Shepparton FoodShare’s search for a new board member has seen a member of the Goulburn Valley’s horticulture sector join the food rescue and redistribution organisation.
Trish Vigliaturo, of Vigliaturo Orchards at Ardmona, has a law degree, as well as human resources and business management experience with the family-owned and operated business, which grows, packs and markets apples, pears and stone fruits.
“I had actually participated in a leadership course, two leadership courses in the last couple of years, which were based on community leadership and contributing back, and so I’d been thinking ‘How can I now actually put what I’ve learned in place?’” she said.
“Then the board position came up and I thought, ‘Well, I love talking about food. I hate food wastage and I want to push back to my community, so here it is.’”
As growers, Vigliaturo Orchards has previously donated produce to Foodshare, and now Trish said she hoped her joining the board would contribute further to the easing of cost-of-living pressures on families across the Goulburn Valley.
“Food security for families; it doesn’t just mean you’ve got a full belly, it’s something less to worry about,” she said.
“It’s really the most important thing to us; we all have to eat, so if you’re not worried about that and you know that you’re going to have a supply of something healthy, well, you can focus on your family and other things.”
Local builder’s work in the spotlight
Goulburn Valley company Sessions Builders’ work was in the spotlight on Tuesday, August 1, when the BeyondHousing social housing project was opened in Shepparton’s Graham St.
Sessions, which started in Shepparton in 1985, was chosen to build the 13 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom units for people who had been homeless until now.
The architects behind the project were BY Projects Architecture, based in Collingwood.
“It’s heartening to have devoted partners like Homes Victoria, BY Projects Architecture and Sessions Builders, who we’ve had a long-running relationship with and bore with us to see this this project delivered,” BeyondHousing’s Celia Adams said.
Of the $6.1 million cost for the project, $4.5 million was provided by the Peter and Lyndy White Foundation, $945,355 by Homes Victoria’s Social Housing Growth Fund and $725,000 by BeyondHousing.
Ms Adams said the community housing provider had 300 more dwellings either under construction or in planning, but with 5500 people seeing it each year for housing help, many more are needed.
SPC appoints new CEO
Food and beverage processor SPC has appointed Neil Brimacombe as its new chief executive.
Mr Brimacombe joins SPC after working in senior executive roles across multiple continents.
“I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead SPC, an organisation with such a rich heritage and a strong commitment to quality and innovation,” he said.