The Lions Club of Mount Gambier has launched an initiative to help put food on the table of people struggling with the increasing cost of living.

The project is using sheep sourced from a generous farmer and has so far resulted in about 400kg of meat being donated to Foodbank Mount Gambier.

The sheep are delivered to the Edenhope abattoir for processing, with the carcases then butchered in Mount Gambier.

“By no means do we expect them to do this for free,” said Lion Peter Pignotti, who is leading the project for the club.

“The cost to process the sheep is paid by the Lions Club of Mount Gambier which will continue the project until the allocated funds are exhausted.”

The club has earmarked $5000 for the project.

“With the cost of living increasing, many families are struggling to put food on the table and turning to organisations such as Foodbank for assistance,” Mr Pignotti said.

“The Lions Club of Mount Gambier would like to continue this humanitarian project but is limited by the supply of sheep and funds.

“The club encourages other producers to donate a few eating-quality sheep that will be about 25-30kg dressed and would not return a profit or be saleable,” he said.

The project has been welcomed by Foodbank Regional Manager Lynne Neshoda.

“We thank the farmers in our region and the Lions Club of Mount Gambier for supporting us with this initiative and look forward to being able to supply meat to our clients that would otherwise go without,” Ms Neshoda said.

Please email the Lions Club of Mount Gambier at lionsclubmtgambier@gmail.com to donate sheep.

Visit www.shoutforgood.com/fundraisers/Foodbank-Lions-Club-Mt-Gambier-Meat-Project to donate funds to the Foodbank and Lions Mount Gambier Meat Program.