History
The Crateful Group is a volunteer-led food rescue charity dedicated to supporting the local community. Established in 2010 and registered with the ACNC, the organisation is overseen by a committed Board of Directors and supported by almost 40 local volunteers. Together, we work to reduce food waste while providing practical assistance to families and working people affected by rising living costs.
Every evening, our two vans collect surplus food from six major local supermarkets. The food is then carefully sorted and redistributed to people in need, ensuring quality food is put to good use rather than going to waste.
Through strong partnerships, dedicated volunteers and the generosity of donors, The Crateful Group contributes to a more sustainable and compassionate community.
Our guiding principle is simple:
A helping hand, not a handout.
Our Board
Alejandra Droguett - DirectorWendy Osborne – DirectorLissa C – Treasurer
The Board meets regularly to make decisions regarding the organisation’s strategic direction, governance and funding.
Alejandra Droguett
Director
Alex has worked in Aged & Disability Care for over 10 years and has been with Crateful for almost a decade. She is passionate about supporting people and giving back to the community.
She finds helping those in need is incredibly rewarding, and enjoys meeting many great people and making friends while making a positive difference in people’s lives
Lissa C
Treasurer
Lissa has dedicated nearly three years to volunteering with the Crateful Group, witnessing firsthand the organisation’s growth and the significant positive impact it has had on the community.
Her commitment extends beyond this, as she also volunteers at her children’s school and has previously contributed her time to another non-profit organisation, demonstrating her ongoing dedication to community service.
Professionally, Lissa is employed full-time as a chartered accountant within the financial sector, where she applies her expertise to her role. During her leisure time, she and her husband, along with their two children, enjoy visiting libraries and museums, activities that foster learning and family bonding.
Wendy Osborne
Director
Wendy brings extensive experience in Finance, HR & Education, built over more than 40 years in both the public and private sectors.
Her strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills contribute to shaping and strengthening Crateful’s strategic and operational plans.
A long time Oatley resident, Wendy is deeply committed to strengthening her local community.
Wendy joined Crateful as a volunteer packing hampers and serving clients. In 2025, Wendy accepted an invitation to join the Board.
Day 1
How It Works
Every day fresh produce is collected from six Aldi stores, across St George and Sutherland, it is returned to our facility and stored in fridges or freezers as required.
Day 2
Food Hampers Prepared
The next day the food is packed into hampers, which consist of a variety of fresh produce, meat and bread.
Hampers are collected on the day they are packed; currently the hampers are priced at $7 per hamper.
Other Services
Household items
In addition to the hamper, clients are able to purchase other household items such as tinned and packaged food, cleaning and personal hygiene products.
These items are purchased by Crateful from Food Bank and are sold at a much reduced cost to our clients.
Clients register on Facebook to receive a hamper; they are advised of pick up time through the Facebook post.
All hampers are collected from the Oatley facility.
As well as the regular hampers Crateful also provide support via other organisations such as:
Lions Clubs
Salvation Army
Public Housing Tenants
