Anyone who knows Bendigo Foodshare probably knows Annie Constable. Our longest-serving employee, Annie, was one of the handful of people who had a paid role within the organisation in it’s early years. After joining Bendigo Foodshare as a volunteer in 2014 and quickly making herself indispensable with her computer and bookkeeping skills and customer service background, it was a natural fit when a part-time paid role became available.
Nine years after first getting involved with Bendigo Foodshare and working across accounts, operations and warehouse management, Annie now manages our 240 volunteers – the perfect position for someone who knows all the ins and outs of what we do every day and how we do it. Supporting and managing volunteers gives Annie great satisfaction, “It’s honestly given me more pleasure and enjoyment than any other job has ever given me in my entire life, in my entire working career.”
With so much experience and history with the organisation, Annie reflects on how Bendigo Foodshare changed during the COVID pandemic. Not only was there a massive increase in demand for our services, with the number of people seeking food relief in the region skyrocketing, but there was also a massive increase in the number of volunteers as so many people were unable to go to work and were looking for ways to make a tangible difference in the local community.
Annie says, “It certainly changed the age demographics initially, and interestingly, it changed the gender spread too. When I first started, there would have been a handful of women. Now there are actually more women than men, which is amazing. We’ve got lots of different people, all of different ages.”
If you’re interested in making a difference in your community and would like to join Bendigo Foodshare as a volunteer, we have a range of positions available – some specific, like van driving and shift coordinator and others more general, like helping in our warehouse, answering phones or collecting donations.
