Cowra CWA Evening Branch president, Kaye Kilby welcomed guest speaker, Dr Margaret Torode, to the May dinner meeting at Club Cowra.
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In her introduction Ros Ryan told members a little about Dr Margaret Torode's career before she retired and came to live in Cowra.
Margaret has had a very distinguished academic background in the fields of Bio-Medical Science and Sports Medicine at Sydney University, supervising Ph.D students at Charles Sturt University, and a stint at the University of Zimbawe.
Since 2023 Margaret has been the manager of the Cowra Food Hall.
Evening branch members, Ros Ryan, Di Chambers and Cinda Millard are regular volunteers.
Margaret talked about how the Food Hall operates.
On Thursday afternoon the volunteer workers unpack and set the food items up to be ready for the Friday morning.
Items that are donated are free of charge and items that are purchased are sold at a very reduced price.
Bonus extras such coffee, toiletries and cleaning products are sold very cheaply.
Food Bank headquarters in Sydney is a major supplier of food and non-food items.
Local businesses donating to the Food Hall include ALDI, Silly Sollys, and Coles.
Vegetables from Galeas are sold at cost as are meats from Skinners.
Bunnings donated the trolleys.
Donations from CWA Cowra Evening Branch helped buy two freezers.
The Food Hall was able to purchase a printer and laptop computer thanks to a grant from Cowra Council.
Food Hall also received Council grants for new signage and lockers for volunteers.
Cowra Lions Club have been very generous donors.
FRCW (Food Rescue Central West) source items that are close to their use-by date and are available to local Food Halls.
"Second Bite" is based in Bathurst and has a group in Cowra.
Volunteers can choose to do a Thursday afternoon shift or a Friday morning one.
They are in one of four teams so they can work for one shift per month.
Branch Secretary, Cheryl McAlister, spoke about a "Fungi and Fire Ants" workshop event she attended at the Herbarium in Orange.
This excellent event was organised by the State CWA Agriculture and Environment Officer and was very informative and interesting.
Kaye Kilby announced that our branch has been invited to tour Ronald McDonald House, Orange on Thursday, June 6 commencing at 10am.
For the months of June, July and August branch meetings will commence half an hour earlier at 6pm for 6.30pm.
