Supporting Our Community
We love our communities. Yep, all four of them! We now have stores in three communities, plus we’re part of the historic Gleadell Street Market in Richmond once a week. Our sense of community and obligation has expanded with our locations– it had to as it goes hand in hand with how we run our business.
The French Lettuce is a close-knit family-run enterprise (Dad, Mum, three adult children all with equal foodie passion!) and, our surrounding communities have always been an integral part of our business because we are part of the community. We care. And we’re not just talking about our wonderful customers.
We haven’t spoken much about our charitable contributions. We have done a lot, for several years, quietly, at small and large scales. From sharing our food regularly with some particular community members that we know personally that need help, to large-scale end-of-day stock gifts and monetary donations. Regularly gifted, with respect and pleasure.
We haven’t done this alone. It’s not just about us and providing, it’s also about the wonderful people who help us give by giving so much of their time and energy with deliveries, connections and more.
So why talk about it now, here on our website? Well, we get that these are some tough times.
We want to acknowledge our wonderful customers who’ve helped us give and share some information about some amazing organisations and the volunteers we’ve chosen to work with. Thank you all so much.
● In Carlton, we have provided great support with the generous help of our wonderful neighbour who has taken products there three days a week…for the last 20 years! A legend!
● We’ve shared with numerous other providers including Ozanam House, St Mary’s House of Welcome and other institutions in the Fitzroy area. Always of course with the help of wonderful people donating their time.
● We’re proud to contribute to 70 families in the Manningham region from our Bulleen store by working closely with Vantage Point Church and Carenet who collect our after-day products.
● During four of The Royal Children’s Hospital Appeals, we’ve raised over $8,000 by sharing percentages of our takings on the day, and having donation tins in our Carlton and Bulleen stores so that our wonderful customers can contribute, too.
● The Hurstbridge Fire Brigade is staffed entirely by volunteers who do most of their fundraising themselves. We’ve seen how much they contribute to the community and are so impressed and appreciative as our store in Hurstbridge Village is located in semi-bushland. We’ve been making donations and have their collection tins in our Hurstbridge store. (They are also great friends with Santa!)
● The amazing teams at the Rotary Club of Diamond Creek & Uni Hill Church encompasses volunteering with a outstanding local foodbanks in Diamond Creek & Bundoora - we are proud to contribute daily to their ongoing supply of food for families & people in need.
● We also do random acts of kindness at our discretion for displaced people, particularly in the Carlton and Richmond areas.
None of us can help everyone but all of us can help to some degree. Thank you so much to all who have helped us help others.
