VERTO Chief Executive Officer, Ron Maxwell, today announced VERTO would be donating $2000 to The Bathurst Tucker Van so it could continue to provide meals to Bathurst's most disadvantaged people until Christmas 2014.
Mr Maxwell said that VERTO, as a community owned organisation, was proud to support a charitable enterprise that provided such a valuable service to the Bathurst community.
"The Bathurst Tucker Van provides a vital service to the most disadvantaged people living in Bathurst.
"Around 300 meals are provided by the van per week, with 40 per cent of those meals going to children younger than 12 years of age," Mr Maxwell said.
Mr Maxwell said VERTO's $2000 donation would ensure The Bathurst Tucker Van could continue to run until Christmas 2014.
"Services like The Bathurst Tucker Van need financial support and volunteers all year round, not just during the winter months.
"Homelessness is a growing issue in New South Wales with over 28,000 people currently homeless across the state.
"This is more people than any other state in Australia.
"With the national unemployment rate now at its highest point since August 2002, and with New South Wales' unemployment rate climbing to 5.9 per cent last month, poverty is increasingly becoming many peoples' reality," Mr Maxwell said.
Mr Maxwell congratulated David Buckby and The Bathurst Tucker Van team for the positive work they were doing to help disadvantaged people in the Bathurst region.
"Without organisations like The Bathurst Tucker Van in our community, many people living in poverty would be in dire straits.
"I commend David Buckby and The Bathurst Tucker Van team for their efforts, and I look forward to a continuing association with this great charitable organisation," Mr Maxwell said.
