Food packages full of South Australian produce will be delivered to 1,000 disadvantaged South Australian families in May thanks to support agency MumKIND and a $40,000 grant from BankSA Foundation.

The new ‘SA Pantry’ campaign created by MumKIND will see non-perishable food staples delivered to needy families in partnership with other social services agencies, including Centacare, AnglicareSA, Uniting SA, Catherine House and Life Christian Centre.

The $40,000 grant from BankSA Foundation – which is funded primarily through BankSA staff donations – will help fund the pantry packs and build on public donations to ensure a successful rollout of the campaign.

BankSA Foundation also announced a $40,000 funding grant to Miracle Babies Foundation to help it establish a second ‘NurtureGroup’ in South Australia to support children from 0-6 years who are affected by prematurity or sickness.

The new NurtureGroup will be established to provide safe play and support programs for children and families in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, including those being cared for at Lyell McEwin Hospital.

The $40,000 grant from BankSA Foundation will cover all costs to expand the NurtureGroup in 2019/2020, including toys, resources, volunteer recruitment and training, venue and cleaning costs, catering, project management and allied health costs.

BankSA Chief Executive Nick Reade said the two $40,000 BankSA Foundation grants will provide major relief to many South Australian families.

“More than 117,000 people seek food relief services in South Australia every month, so MumKIND’s new SA Pantry initiative will provide much-needed support for parents who are desperate to feed their families,” he said.

“We know from our own research that South Australian families are feeling the impact of cost of living pressures on their household budgets, so we are pleased to help fund this important campaign through BankSA Foundation, which will benefit many people who are struggling to put food on the table.”

Reade said that the grant for Miracle Babies Foundation to set up an additional NurtureGroup in Adelaide will provide support for up to 600 young children and their families.

“When you consider the significant health problems that can often result from prematurity, and the fact that 27,000 babies are born premature in Australia every year, support services like Miracle Babies Foundation’s NurtureGroups are so critical to help young families get through a difficult period in their lives,” he said.

BankSA Foundation has developed a proud history of charitable and community support since 1941 when bank staff first agreed to donate part of their wages to send comfort parcels to colleagues serving in the armed forces.

It has since donated more than $9 million to help small local charities make a big impact, thanks to the ongoing generosity of BankSA employees through workplace giving and fundraising.