An innovative Tasmanian high school program to provide nutritious cooked meals to Tasmania’s
most vulnerable – including those experiencing homelessness – is just one of 14 youth programs
benefiting from over $100,000 in grants awarded in the 2015 MyState Foundation grant round.

MyState Foundation Chairman Robert Gordon said the Foundation’s mission was to help educate,
nurture, support and advance the interests of Tasmania’s young people.

“We are incredibly proud to be awarding $106,000 in grants to 14 charitable or community
organisations across the state, ranging from Kennerley Children’s Homes in the south, St Giles
Society in the north, and The Beacon Foundation in the north west,” Mr Gordon said.

“We believe it’s the little ideas, local organisations and small acts that can help to make a big
difference in people’s lives and help build a richer Tasmanian community.

“The MyState Foundation has been empowering young Tasmanians in every corner of the state for
over 14 years, resulting in over $1.1 million in grants to more than 80 not-for-profit organisations,
for over 200 initiatives.

“This is perfectly represented by programs such as SecondBite in Schools, which not only provides
nutritional education and cooking skills, but also introduces students to the plight of vulnerable
Tasmanians while offering a solution to feeding those less fortunate, which truly makes a difference
to their lives.”

SecondBite State Manager Aaron Kropf said without the assistance of the MyState grant, the schools
program would have struggled to exist.

“We currently provide food free of charge to community food programs and emergency relief
organisations, with initiatives such as our SecondBite in Schools program helping us deliver home
cooked meals,” Mr Kropf said.

“Over the next two years, we anticipate 400 young people will benefit from this program, including
90 students cooking and 310 vulnerable young people receiving healthy cooked meals.

“While the SecondBite in Schools program was initially trialled at Montrose Bay High School,
Claremont College and Geilston Bay High, we hope that with funding assistance from MyState, we
will be able to rollout the program to other Tasmanian schools and communities.

“At the moment the need for cooked meals among vulnerable community members is higher than
our capacity to produce these meals.

“Not only do the most vulnerable in our society benefit from receiving nutritious food, but the
students develop a range of skills and grow in confidence from participation, and in some cases the
program has even increased school attendance rates.

The MyState Foundation has been supporting young Tasmanians since 2001. Applications for the
next round of grants will open in early 2016. For more information about the MyState Foundation
visit www.mystate.com.au/community.
MyState Foundation Chairman Robert Gordon