Turn the shared picture of your food into a real meal for the needy

A lot of people who like to photograph their meals and share it on social media but now a new initiative will turn those posts into real meals for the needy.

OzHarvest and Virgin Mobile have joined forces to take this popular practice into something that will benefits those who are less fortunate.

Now every time someone shares an image of their food with the hashtag #mealforameal Virgin Mobile will donate to OzHarvest so they can provide an actual meal for someone in need.

Australian chefs Adriano Zumbo, George Calombaris, Andrew Levins along with Gelato Messina have also joined the campaign and will encourage their followers and fans to join in the cause.

There are more than 60 million pictures shared on Instagram alone each day with ninety photos with the hashtag #foodporn uploaded every 60 seconds so you can imagine how much money this initiative can raise.

Virgin Mobile’s research says Australians access social media on their smartphones for 14 hours a week on average which equates to 26 days a year where we’re posting and sharing content.

Adrian Zumbo, the #mealforameal ambassador for Virgin Mobile, creates desserts that are often shared on social media.

“It’s hard to remember a day that one of my creations wasn’t posted to social media, Mr Zumbo says.

“While I definitely think it’s a positive that people are sharing a love of food with their phones, and the exposure for our industry has been incredible, I would also like to see how this phenomenon could have a more positive impact on the world.

“The mobile phone is such a cool device, why not use it to help those in need?”

OzHarvest is a charity that takes excess food and delivers it to those who need it most.

Australians waste four million tonnes of food a year – that’s $8 billion worth that goes straight to landfill.

“Every single day, OzHarvest rescues perfectly good food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it to over 500 charitable organisations around Australia,” said OzHarvest founder and CEO Ronni Kahn.

“We are on a mission to eliminate hunger and food waste simultaneously and now you can help us do this simply by remembering one simple hashtag.

“So, next time you feel the impulse to snap that organic grass fed wagyu burger, tag it #mealforameal so Virgin Mobile can help us turn it into a real meal for someone in need.”

You can find out more about this initiative at www.makingmobilebetter.com.au.

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