The Highland Foundation and The One Box: Investing in Long-Term Community Impact
7 Oct 2026
Read moreFresh food is just the beginning
Weekly deliveries of fresh fruit and veggies for Australian families in need. Nutrition. Dignity. Connection.
Hunger in a
first world nation
In a country as prosperous as Australia, hunger is often hidden – but it is happening every day. One in three households experienced food insecurity in 2025, and 61% of those were severely affected, frequently skipping meals or going entire days without food.
For families, this means impossible choices between eating and paying rent and bills – and too many children missing out on the fresh, nutritious food they need to grow and thrive and learn at school.
The One Box brings together national fresh food logistics and local school relationships to provide families experiencing hardship with consistent, dignified support.
The Fruit Box Group, a national workplace fresh food supplier, supports the program by providing access to its established supply chain, packing facilities and delivery network. This allows The One Box to reach families across Australia without the need for separate warehouses or delivery infrastructure.
Through this model, families receive deliberately purchased – not rescued – fresh produce that lasts throughout the week. Delivered discreetly through schools, the boxes make nutritious food easier to access, helping families prepare meals at home and fill children’s lunchboxes while complementing, rather than duplicating, school-based meal programs.
How The One Box works
Fresh food, delivered weekly, creates a consistent point of connection, helping trusted school communities support families in ways that can extend well beyond receiving fresh produce.
Fresh food every week
Quality fresh fruit and vegetables are sourced from Australian growers, packed and delivered to participating schools and community partners through our logistics partner’s established national delivery network.
Trusted connection
Families collect their box through a familiar school or community setting. Weekly pickups builds familiarity and trust and the opportunity to talk, so school wellbeing coordinators can better understand each family’s needs.
Pathways forward
Through these trusted relationships, families can be connected with broader support and opportunities, helping build greater stability, confidence and independence over time.
Our impact, one box at a time
Consistent access to fresh food can create change that reaches well beyond the box.
~
2,500Families supported every week
134
+
School and community partners
54
%
Of parents reported improvements in their children’s social and emotional skills
38
%
Of surveyed families connected to or tracked through referral pathways
$
50Average weekly saving per family, enabling them to meet other expenses like utility payments and school clothing
$1 → $
1.95Every $1 donated becomes approximately $1.95 worth of fresh food
Since 2020, The One Box has partnered with the Department of Accounting at Monash Business School to independently research and evaluate the impact of the program, including a 3 year longitudinal study
Meet our partners
The One Box is proud to work alongside business, philanthropic partners and organisations who share our belief that every family should be able to access fresh, nutritious food with dignity.
Everyone can play a part
When a box becomes a connection
When serious illness and family hardship made everyday life difficult, Doris found something she could rely on: a weekly box of fresh fruit and vegetables from The One Box.
With other food relief services out of reach, the school-based program provided consistent, accessible support for Doris and her daughter. Over time, regular contact also strengthened her relationship with the school, giving her the confidence to seek additional help when she needed it.
“I don’t have to think about it because I know it’s coming on a Tuesday. I’ve got enough fruit. I’ve got enough vegetables.”
Doris, The One Box participant
Testimonials
“It opens doors. It allows conversations to be had in a way where I think we wouldn’t have been able to tap the families that we didn’t know.”
“The pressure’s taken off and you can focus more on other areas of the kid’s lives without being worried about if they’re having lunch or their emotional stress.”
“It’s a big help, not only the quantity in the box, but it is also the quality of the vegetables and fruit, they are very good quality.”
News & reports
Explore the latest research, impact reports, partnerships and stories showing how The One Box is working with communities across Australia.
Donate
Your donation will help The One Box provide fresh food to families experiencing hardship across Australia.
You can make a one-off contribution or become a regular giver, helping ensure families can count on fresh food arriving every week.
Every gift, large or small, helps us reach more families.
All donations $2 and over are tax deductible. The One Box Group Limited is a registered charity and Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).
