Ahead of its closure for an upgrade, Bathurst Aldi delivered fresh produce – fruit, vegetables, milk, bread, eggs and some meat products – to the club in abundance to be used in the Food Bank program.

The club hosts the community-based Food Bank each Thursday from 9am to noon for those who hold health care or pension cards.

Referrals are also received from welfare agencies such as Wattle Tree, Veritas and the Salvation Army for those who might be able to make use of the Food Bank program.

Club manager Rebecca Mathie said Bathurst Aldi donates each week to the program, but the larger donation this week would be much-appreciated by those at the club on Thursday.

“I think our Food Bank clients will be ecstatic when they come in,” she said.

She said the club has around 800 families that use the Food Bank program.

”We also work in consultation with Bathurst Community Transport, which runs a client bus service every Thursday,” she said.

“There are three pick-up points around town. The bus service assists those with no transport get access to the program.”

Ms Mathie said any food left over from this week’s Food Bank session would go to other people who appreciate the help.

“For whatever is not given out to Food Bank clients, we will be making contact with Meals On Wheels and other welfare agencies to make sure the food does not go to waste and to assist more people,” she said.

Bathurst Aldi closed on Tuesday and will reopen on Saturday, April 8 after work on a $2.5 million upgrade of the store is completed.

An Aldi spokesperson said earlier this week that the work would include better product displays, improved navigation and modern styling. 

Many of the improvements have been implemented following store trials and Aldi’s statewide roll-out of the new format in South Australia and Western Australia. 

New features include redesigned shelving, expanded wooden produce bays and extended energy efficient chillers.