Waste not, want not

SecondBite WA
__Positive. Giving. Energetic __

At 6am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you will find Joanilia Chaperon sorting through rescued food to provide to thousands of West Australians in need.

Big-hearted Joanilia has been an enthusiastic volunteer for SecondBite WA since she heard about the charity on the radio around the time of her retirement.

She has become a stalwart of the operation and is known for the immaculate presentation of her hampers.

With her sunny smile and can-do attitude, Joanilia is also a kind mentor for new and less experienced volunteers.

Joanilia jokes that part of the payback is the free workout she gets from the manual labour required to get the job done.

Her work ensures perfectly good fresh food is diverted from landfill to people who might otherwise go hungry.

As a passionate advocate for the charity, Joanilia attends fundraisers and encourages other seniors to volunteer.

“I have a desire to help needy families and at the same time to give back to society for what was given to my family and me by this country when I migrated to Perth from overseas,” says Joanilia.

She is honoured to be nominated a Westfield Local Hero. “It shows appreciation for the work we are doing and gives me a sense of pride in and belonging to the community.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. SecondBite WA will use its funds to buy equipment to help sort food and more Mega bins to increase its efficiency and hygiene and support more families.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here