About the Freshie Bag:
Freshie Bag is currently only available in Hobart. Registered collection happens every Thursday at the Sandy Bay campus.
Freshie Bag is coming soon for Newnham and West Park campuses.
The Freshie Bag gives students an opportunity to try new food, cook new recipes and eat a balanced diet of different coloured fresh foods.
Alarmingly, 42% of our students are food insecure and many make the hard choice to go without. We want to lower this number by making sure our students are well-fed and looked after.
Check this page and the Facebook page for updates.
Each bag will contain:
- Staple root vegetables (onions, carrots & potatoes)
- Locally grown herbs from Source Eco Hub (Sandy Bay)
- Fresh fruit and changing seasonal produce (from food rescue partners)
If you have any questions please email: FreshieBag.Orders@utas.edu.au or send us a message on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much does a Freshie Bag cost?
No cost, though registration is essential. In 2023, TUSA is partnering with Tasmanian food rescue organisation Loaves & Fishes. This partnership allows TUSA to be a food redistributor and helps make Freshie Bags free of charge.
What will I get in a Freshie Bag?
Freshie Bags contain a variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables, and as a Loaves & Fishes partners all produce is Tasmanian. For more information check out their website.
Where can I collect my Freshie Bag?
Registered Freshie Bags are available to collect in Sandy Bay on Thursdays between 12-2 pm. Operations are not finalised for Newnham and West Park campuses – check the Freshie Bag Facebook Page for updates.
For the Sandy Bay Campus, the collection point is the TUSA Student Lounge.
See here for more directions to our locations: http://tusa.org.au/contact-us/
How do I register for a Freshie Bag?
Freshie Bags registration is only online through the TUSA website.
The deadline for Freshie Bag registration each week is Wednesday 12pm for Sandy Bay Campus, reopening every Thursday 5pm.
Will I know what’s in my Freshie Bag before I order?
We are unable to confirm the contents of the Freshie Bag before ordering. This is because we are a food redistribution partner for Loaves & Fishes, who source produce through state-wide partnerships. Generally, bags will contain a mixture of fruit, vegetables and herbs, and will vary from week to week depending on what’s available.
How long will a Freshie Bag feed me for?
Our volunteers sort the bulk food donation from Loaves & Fishes according to Australian Dietary Requirements to meet the average minimum fruit and vegetable needs for one person for a week. Each Freshie Bag is as close as possible to 4.7kg, five servings (75g) of vegetables a day and 2 servings (150g) of fruit.
Please see Australian Government website for further detail here.
I don’t live near Hobart, Launceston or Burnie, can is still buy a Freshie Bag?
Freshie bags cannot be delivered and must be collected. Therefore, we ask students to only register for Freshie Bags if they can collect them from the collection location on the collection day (Thursdays between 12-2pm).
If I miss the collection time, can I still pick up my order?
Freshie Bags that are not collected will be donated to Source Eco Hub to use in their community events program (Saturday gardening bees with free lunch!)
If I miss the order deadline, can I still order a Freshie Bag for this week?
Unfortunately, if you miss the order deadline you will not be able to order a Freshie Bag for that week.
Can I cancel my order?
If you have registered for a Freshie Bag and need to cancel, please contact us as soon as possible so we can offer your bag to another student and effectively redistribute the food donated by Loaves & Fishes.
To cancel a confirmed registration please contact us through the Facebook page, email freshiebag.orders@utas.edu.au, or call 03 6226 6407.