"I can't stress enough the importance of places like this, the big vision is to have hubs like this all over Australia, if we get the grant to set up the initial infrastructure, the hope is that in time it will become a self-funding enterprise, and will in turn fund further hubs like this," Cowper candidate Pat Conaghan said.

"At the moment I'm working with the chief executive of No Kid Hungry AU, Dave Davis, who runs the Saving Place Food Hub to help secure funding to set up the infrastructure to expand."

Pat Conaghan says his support for the saving place comes from his desire to help his hometown and others like it. 

"I'm a Kempsey boy, born and bred here, the food hub provides 40 thousand breakfasts in over 11 schools in the Kempsey region, 1000 breakfasts a week in Kempsey, that is an excellent service to the area," Mr Conaghan said.

"This is what politicians and governments are supposed to be for; we are here to help people and ensure they live the best lives possible."

Members of the Saving Place Food Hub can pay a yearly fee and receive a hamper with fresh vegetables, frozen meat and other food items. $30 memberships are available for people who hold a pensioners card, while anyone who is on government payments including the New Start Allowance, pay $100 a year. Memberships are also available to people who need to use the food service for a short amount of time.

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"Work like this is important because not only does it feed families who are doing it tough, it reduces waste. They take donations of unwanted food that would normally be discarded, it's still edible food and now it's being put to good use rather than rotting in the garbage," Mr Conaghan said.

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