Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) has announced a new national partnership with not-for-profit Eat Up, supporting their work to provide free lunches to children experiencing food insecurity.
Through its new in-kind partnership, SDA is providing more than 400,000 cheer tasty cheese slices annually to Eat Up’s school lunch program to ensure children have access to simple, nutritious food.
Eat Up currently supports more than 1,200 schools across Australia.
They deliver thousands of lunches each week to students who may otherwise go without, helping them stay nourished and focused in class.
Demand for Eat Up’s services has surged, with 68 per cent of schools reporting a rise in students needing support.
For many of these children, a sandwich made with cheese is more than just lunch; it’s the fuel they need to concentrate, participate and thrive.
The partnership builds on SDA’s existing support of Eat Up.
Since 2024, more than 350 employees from across its sites have come together to prepare 18,000 sandwiches for Eat Up using donated Saputo products.
SDA senior vice president commercial, Cam Bruce said the expanded partnership was a natural progression to help reach more children in need and reflects the company’s focus on supporting communities in practical, everyday ways.
“We’re proud to strengthen our support for Eat Up through this partnership.
“It’s about taking something as simple as a cheese sandwich and making it count for more.
“Through our products and the ongoing commitment of our people, we’re pleased to be working with Eat Up to help put lunches into the hands of more students,” Cam said.
Eat Up Founder and spokesperson, Lyndon Galea, said the partnership comes at an important time as demand for the organisation’s services continues to rise.
“Demand for our program continues to grow, and partnerships like this are critical to helping us keep up and deliver school lunches at scale.
“Support from Saputo ensures we can continue to provide lunches to students who need them most, without additional cost pressures on the program,” Lyndon said.